A teenager has admitted removing a murder weapon from a Dublin restaurant where Jason Hennessy Senior, 48, was shot and fatally injured during a gangland attack on Christmas Eve last year.
Jaures Kumbu, 18 and from Brookhaven Grove in Blanchardstown, Co Dublin, picked up a submachine gun after it had been knocked from the hands of the gunman, Tristan Sherry, who was subsequently killed at the scene.
The weapon has never been recovered.
The teenager said in a letter to the court that he had made stupid mistakes "out of fear for his life" after "seeing somebody get shot in front of him".
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Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said the three judges will sentence Mr Kumbu at a later date.
CCTV footage of the gun attack at Browne's Steakhouse in Blanchardstown last Christmas Eve were shown at the Special Criminal Court.
It shows Mr Sherry and another armed man arriving at the restaurant and heading towards a group, which included Mr Hennessy Snr and Mr Kumbu, who were there for a meal.
Mr Hennessy can be seen holding a young child in his arms when Mr Sherry starts firing at him.
He hands over the child and is seen tackling the gunman, who falls to the ground and loses control of the submachine gun.
The gun is picked up by another man who puts it on one of the tables where it is then picked up by Mr Kumbu who walks out the door with it.
Gardaí searched the 18-year-old’s home in the early hours of Christmas morning and again in January but Mr Kumbu was not there on either occasion, and the murder weapon has never been found.
Defence counsel Garret Baker told the court that Mr Kumbu was born and grew up in Blanchardstown, but his family is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He dropped out of school in fifth year and has no previous convictions.
Mr Baker submitted that even though Mr Kumbu was committing an offence, the 18-year-old was probably terrified at the time like everyone else.
"It could be argued there was some merit in removing that weapon from the chaotic scene," he said.
"But of course what should have happened is that he should have walked into a garda station and handed it over, but the weapon is no longer under his control."
In a letter from Mr Kumbu handed in to the court, he apologised to the court.
He said the experience was very scary and terrifying and he did not want to waste court time so he put in an early plea of guilty.
He said he knows he is going to jail but hopefully for not too long.
Mr Kumbu was remanded in custody until 2 December.
