by Andrew Carey
A LIMERICK creche worker will be sentenced in the New Year after she admitted having a sub-machine gun stored in her home because she had financial difficulties and needed the money.
Celine O’Riordan with a former address at Cliona Park admitted having the weapon and 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition in a bin outside her home in July of last year.
During the sentencing hearing at Limerick Circuit Court, Judge Tom O’Donnell was told that the mother of one was approached by an unidentified person and offered €300 to store the gun for a short period.
Ms O’Riordan hid the weapon and ammunition in her bedroom wardrobe after it was dropped outside the door of her home.
She was told that someone would be along to collect the gun a few days later.
She removed the Mac 10 gun from her bedroom wardrobe, wrapped it in a pillow case and a Supervalu bag and put it in the bin outside her home.
When it was found by Gardaí executing a search warrant, she explained her version of events. However, detectives didn’t believe her as it was clear to them that the gun was being stored in the bin and was not discarded.
The court heard from Ms O’Riordan’s father who said she was vulnerable, had no previous convictions and that this was not in character.
“I took her out of that situation and she is not a danger to anybody or never was”, he said.
Adjourning the case to February 12, Judge O’Donnell said that “given the bizare set of circumstances, he wanted a probation report to “get the full picture before finalising the matter”.
