Two men charged in connection with an arms haul in Cork last year have been sentenced to six and 12 years in prison.
Glen Geasley, 27, from Innishmore Park in Ballincollig, and Sean Callinane, 21, from Tullamore in Co Offaly, had initially pleaded not guilty to a total of eight charges when their trial first opened at the circuit criminal court in Cork a fortnight ago.
However, today on day 11 of the trial, they both pleaded guilty to one charge, conspiracy to possess firearms to give reasonable inference that there were not for lawful purposes, contrary to common law.
Sentencing both men, Judge Patrick Moran remarked that there is no doubt that had they succeeded in what they were trying to do, there would have been very serious consequences.
He also commended gardaí and the officers from SOCA who did so much to bring the men to justice.
He sentenced Glen Geasley to 12 years in prison, but suspended five years because of his plea and because he was saving the State time and money.
Judge Moran sentenced Sean Callinane to six years in prison, but suspended three of these years for the same reasons.
Both were charged with conspiracy to possess firearms and ammunition with the intent to endanger life on dates between 22 February and 20 April 2007.
This followed a joint operation between gardaí and members of Britain's Serious Organised Crime Agency, when it was learned that a criminal gang in Ireland was 'shopping' for weapons from inside one of the country's prisons.
The weapons included two rocket launchers, Kalashnikov assault rifles and uzi sub machine guns.
