A 44-year-old man who was caught with a loaded gun, ammunition, gloves and a balaclava has been jailed for three years at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.
Phillip McBride of Cedar Grove, Swords in Dublin was wearing two sets of clothes when he was arrested with another man in Co Westmeath in December 2019.
His 38-year-old co-accused, Derek Byrne of Drynam Green, Swords in Dublin, was previously jailed for six years.
McBride claimed that he was asked to drive the car on the understanding that the gun was to be used to intimidate somebody in connection with drugs.
The father of four was a heavy cocaine user and had a drug debt.
Detective Garda Stuart Gleeson told the court that the gardaí had information that a gun was to be found at Byrne's address and a surveillance operation was put in place.
Byrne was seen leaving the house with a bag and getting into a BMW driven by McBride on 3 December 2019.
Gardaí followed the car along the M50 and onto to the M4, before attempting to stop the BMW on the N4.
The men tried to flee, a chase ensued, which ended when the gunmen's car went onto a grass verge.
A loaded semi-automatic pistol was thrown from the passenger window and gardaí found it near the car.
They searched the car and also found black latex gloves, a black balaclava and a burner phone.
As both men were arrested, Byrne, a convicted drug dealer with 78 previous convictions, said he had been going fishing.
Judge Melanie Greally said today that as it turned out, the firearm and the ammunition were not compatible and "not capable of inflicting injury on that particular occasion".
She said they may have been for "the purpose of intimidation", but also may well have been intended for use "beyond that".
She sentenced Phillip McBride to six years with the final three years suspended.
