A 29-year old County Galway man has been returned for trial concerning the alleged unlawful possession of a 9mm Makarov calibre PM-63 RAK sub-machine gun in Shannon in March of this year.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Adrian Harris has returned for trial to the current sittings of Ennis Circuit Court Desmond O’Neill of St Brendan’s Ballinasloe, Co Galway for the unlawful possession of the sub-machine gun at the N18, Ballycaseymore, Shannon on March 15th last.
The charge is contrary to Section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act, 1964, as substituted by Section 59 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 as amended by Section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
Mr O’Neill is also charged with on the same date at the same location of allegedly unlawfully having in his possession ammunition namely 20 12 gauge shotgun cartridges.
Mr O’Neill is also charged with having in his possession four 9 millimetre rounds of ammunition and three 7.65 mm browning caliber rounds of ammunition and both charges are contrary to Section 27A(1) of the Firearms Act, 1964, as substituted by Section 59 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 as amended by Section 38 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007.
Judge Harris gave Mr O’Neill the abili warning that if an alibi formed any part of his defence that his solicitor, Stiofán Fitzpatrick had 14 days in which to inform the State.
Judge Harris extended the legal aid certificate to Mr Fitzpatrick to also allow a junior counsel to represent Mr O’Neill in the circuit court and sent forward Mr O’Neill on bail to the circuit court.
Due to the volume of cases before the circuit court, it is likely that it will be until next year before Mr O’Neill’s case comes before the court for trial.
