Child, 9, inside car when gardai found loaded gun
Pair released on bail over weapons and ammo charges
A Nine-year-old child was in a car when gardai found a loaded handgun, a court heard yesterday.
Blanchardstown District Court was also told a woman accused of possession of a sub-machine gun and an over and under sawn-off shotgun admitted stripping them down, cleaning them and rewrapping them in plastic.
Details were heard when a man and a woman were in the dock charged in connection the discovery of the handgun and subsequent discoveries of the weapons in the Dublin 15 area.
Jamie Moss, 21, is accused of possessing a 9mm Makarov handgun which was wrapped in clingfilm and in a plastic bag along with Sellier and Bellot ammunition when gardai stopped and searched a Ford Focus on the Old Navan Road last Friday.
The court heard the child was a passenger in the car when gardai searched it.
Meanwhile, co-accused Sarah Jane Byrne, 35, appeared before the court charged with possession of two firearms and ammunition.
The hearing was told in a follow-up search of her address, officers discovered a 7.62x25mm Tokarev calibre PPS-43 submachine gun and a 12 gauge over and under configuration sawn-off Beretta shotgun.
Giving evidence of the arrest charge and caution, Detective Garda Sean Kelly said he arrested Moss at 2.31pm and charged him at 3.22pm.
The accused made no reply to the charges after caution, the court heard.
The officer arrested Moss under Section 15 of the Firearms Act and brought him to Blanchardstown Garda station.
The court was told CCTV was recovered and showed the movements of the defendant and the vehicle at a car park in Mulhuddart, North Dublin.
It’s alleged it was here an exchange of a firearm occurred with another unknown person.
Garda Kelly told the court forensic tests on the weapon are expected to yield further evidence.
Judge David Mchugh granted the accused bail on strict conditions provided he sign on daily at a Garda station and reside at an address provided to the court.
Moss was also told he must also surrender his passport, not apply for any travel documents and be contactable on a mobile phone at all times.
The court heard gardai had possession of the accused’s phone and a request was made to give him time to gain a new handset.
Moss was also ordered to stay out of the Dublin 15 area and not contact the co-accused.
Meanwhile, Detective Garda Mark Ferris gave evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of Byrne. Det Garda Ferris said he charged her with five offences at 2.54pm and she made no reply after caution.
Byrne is accused of possessing and having under her control the Tokarev sub-machine gun and the 12-gauge sawn-off shotgun.
It’s further alleged she had 27 rounds of 9mm Luger CBC ammunition. The defendant is addiionally charged with possession of a 9mm Makarov semi-automatic pistol and Sellier and Bellot ammunition.
Det Garda Ferris told the court unemployed Byrne had the items “hidden under the stairs in her house”.
The hearing was further told she “admitted taking took possession of them, stripping them down, cleaning them and rewrapping them”.
Byrne was granted bail and ordered not to apply for any travel documents, stay out of Dublin 15 and be contactable by mobile phone.
The pair were remanded on bail and given a date for their next court appearance. Judge Mchugh said that the addresses for both accused should not be made public at this stage due to security concerns.
The court heard that directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions remain outstanding.