surveillance op | 

Dublin man caught with loaded gun in car alongside men with burner phones ‘deeply ashamed’

Detectives recovered the firearm and arrested Ryan Kelly (25) in a falsely registered car

Robin Schiller

Yesterday at 14:28

A Dublin man who was spotted with a loaded revolver during a surveillance operation into organised crime is “deeply ashamed of his actions”, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Detectives recovered the firearm and arrested Ryan Kelly (25) in a falsely registered car travelling with men wearing rubber gloves and a snood, while burner phones and keys to two stolen car were also recovered.

The accused, of Captain’s Road in Crumlin, has pleaded guilty to possession of a .38 calibre Smith and Wesson revolver and five rounds of ammunition on November 23, 2021.

Detective Garda John Rourke, of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), said that a surveillance operation had been put in place monitoring the movements of Kelly.

He told prosecuting counsel Anne Marie Lawlor SC that this stemmed from confidential information about the movement of firearms and ammunition.

On the afternoon of the offence, gardaí observed a taxi being driven by co-accused Anthony Walker in the Greenfort area of Clondalkin, with Kelly also seen there, talking to another male

Both men then travelled in the taxi to Ballyfermot before arriving at Kelly’s home on Captain’s Road.

CCTV footage captured a number of vehicles leaving and arriving at the property that evening.

At 7.12pm Ryan Kelly was seen on camera exiting his home and hiding an item in hedges across the road, before returning over an hour later to retrieve the item.

The court was told it is accepted that this was the revolver.

Further footage showed Anthony Walker returning in his Toyota Prius taxi to Kelly’s home at 8.44pm before Kelly dropped the revolver, wrapped in a cloth, in through the passenger window.

The court heard Kelly described himself as “somewhat young and naive” at the time of the offence but has had time to reflect and mature.

Testimonials were also handed in by his family, partner, and local sports clubs.

“I would ask the court to give him as much leniency as it can,” Mr Grehan said, adding that the firearms offence “appears to be a very radical departure” from previous matters he came before the court for.

Mr Justice Paul Burns, presiding, remanded him in custody ahead of delivering sentence on April 22.

The maximum sentence he faces is 14 years imprisonment.

Prior to the sitting an application was made for his co-accused, Anthony Walker (52), to be sentenced next month, which was acceded to by the judge.