A LIMERICK man shot a rifle a number of times out his bedroom window in a city centre housing estate and told gardai it was “target practice”, a court has heard.
Thomas Harrahan (25), was living at his father’s house in Sean Heuston Place in the city centre, when he purchased an 5.5m industry standard air rifle and a can of pepper spray which he said was to be used for their own protection.
However, on March 9, 2012, gardai were alerted to shots being fired from an upstairs window at the house.
Garda Eoghan Linnane, from Henry Street Garda Station, along with members of the armed Regional Support Unit, went to the address to investigate.
On arrival, gardai entered the house and spoke with the 25-year-old who produced the air rifle from behind a fridge and admitted to firing it out the back window of the house.
A search of the house revealed three containers of lead pellets as well as a can of pepper spray.
All the items were seized and a ballistics expert confirmed that the rifle was in good working order and that although the pepper spray can was damaged, it was “serviceable”.
Hanrahan was arrested and questioned and made full admissions during a 30 minute interview.
Judge Tom O’Donnell heard at Limerick Circuit Court heard that the 25-year-old told gardai he set up “bottles and cans on the shed roof for target practice with the air rifle”.
Prosecuting the offence under section 27A of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, John O’Sullivan BL said that it was accepted that Thomas Hanrahan was “indulging in target practice”, but doing so in a built-up area.
After the 25-year-old pleaded guilty, defence counsel Pat Whyms BL, said that the activity of Hanrahan “was a misguided activity as it was guaranteed to attract attention”
“He was using the rifle to shoot at bottles and cans on the roof of his shed”, Mr Whyms said as he asked to court to put the offence into context as the rifle was not being used in “suspicious circumstances to intimidate anyone”.
Adjourning the matter to July 26 next to consider the case, Judge Tom O’Donnell said “it is a serious matter, so I have to consider the presumptive minimum five-year prison sentence as per the legislation which was designed to be used as a deterrent for such offences”.
Hanrahan was released on continuing bail.
