Man who disappeared while awaiting trial for a gun seizure a decade ago located by gardaí following traffic stop

 • 36m ago

Aman who disappeared while awaiting trial for a gun seizure in Dublin a decade ago has been found and recharged following a traffic stop.

A court heard gardaí thought “the trail had gone cold” until truck worker Brian Fearon, 46, of Clonard, Brittas, Co Dublin, was located on Friday.

He was initially charged with possessing a Beretta single-barrel shotgun in circumstances which inferred he did not have it for a lawful purpose on March 19, 2013, at a location in Brittas.

The offence is contrary to section 27 of the Firearms Act.

A bench warrant was issued for his arrest when he failed to appear for a scheduled hearing on June 27, 2013.

He went to the UK but, unknown to gardaí, returned four years ago and avoided detection until he was stopped driving in Drimnagh in Dublin.

He was brought back before a weekend sitting of Dublin District Court after and made no reply in answer to the charges.

Garda Jeff Dolan objected to bail, citing fears the accused was a flight risk and efforts the accused had gone through “to avoid detection”.

He told Judge Marie Quirke that the original arrest followed a “high-speed traffic pursuit” in which the accused allegedly discarded a firearm.

The offence can carry a 14-year sentence.

Garda Dolan said Mr Fearon left the country after getting a bail bond in 2013.

Efforts to locate him through Interpol proved fruitless, and he was on a wanted list.

The court heard that Mr Fearon admitted that after returning four years ago, he had given gardaí a false name whenever he was stopped.

His home address, where he lived with relatives, was checked “to no avail”. The garda agreed with defence solicitor Simon Fleming that the “trail had gone cold in relation to the chase”.

Mr Fleming submitted that his client had lived at the same address and that a family member would lodge bail money. He would abide by any conditions set down by the court.

His brother said the accused worked with him in his truck and trailer rental business, and agreed that he returned four or five years ago.

Mr Fearon was not required to give evidence and is still to indicate a plea. However, he told the court that he did not have a passport.

Granting bail in his bond of €4,000, of which half had to be lodged, Judge Quirke ordered him to sign on daily at a garda station and not to apply for a passport.

He was released and remanded to appear again on May 18