Man fined for unlicensed shotgun after firing over raiders

A court in Ballinasloe heard last week how a shotgun was discharged by a man in the early hours of the morning in order to frighten off a number of people who broke into his home armed with hatchets, a lump-hammer, and a canister of petrol.

Derek Nolan of Lisduff, Mount Talbot, pleaded guilty to possession of a shotgun without a firearm certificate at his home on January 7 2013, and his solicitor told the court he had grabbed the gun from a kitchen shelf because he was afraid for his life.

Garda Darren Owens told the court of responding to a 999 call from a neighbour concerning the discharge of a firearm which had occurred when three men who had travelled from Monaghan attempted to break into his home in an attempt to get money that was owed to them.

Mr. Nolan had discharged the firearm over their heads to try and get them to go away, and appeared very nervous. The firearm belonged to his father who had passed away.

Sheenagh MacCarthy, solicitor for the accused, said it had been a very frightening experience for her client who would say that he did not own any money but had been duped by someone else in relation to the collection of horses.

She went on to explain how the defendant was in bed at 12.30am when the men broke a patio window at the back of the house and came into his home uninvited.

They were armed with hatchets, a lump-hammer and a canister of petrol and her client ended up being assaulted and sustaining a dislocated shoulder.

Threats were subsequently made against him about what would happen to him if he ever re-appeared in Monaghan.

After Supt. Gerry Roche sought an order disqualifying the defendant from holding a firearm certificate for five years, and the accused asked that he be given back the firearm even if it was decommissioned, Judge James Faughnan said he was not going to disqualify him from holding a firearm but he was ordering that the shotgun be disposed of.

He imposed a fine of €400.