Gardaí arrest man (30s) and woman (40s) after seizing 3D printed firearms, ammo and drugs
The woman, in her 40s and the man aged in his 30s, are being held in Garda stations in Co Clare.
It follows an operation earlier today involving members of the Shannon Detective Unit, Divisional Drugs Units, Armed Support Unit and the Regional Dog Unit who carried out searches at four domestic residences in Co Clare.
Two 3D printed firearms along with ammunition were seized.
In addition, cocaine to the value of €18,400 and cannabis to the value of €200, a large volume of counterfeit clothing and a quantity of cash was seized.
Earlier, on Tuesday, June 17, gardaí attached to the Tipperary Drugs Unit searched a domestic residence in South Tipperary.
Two 3D printed firearms along with ammunition were seized alongside cocaine to the value of €2,500 and cannabis worth €1,000.
A Garda spokesperson said the man and woman are currently being detained under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offenses Against the State Act 1939 and Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 respectively.
Gardai said the firearms will be subject to further ballistic testing and forensic analysis, while the drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Mick Clifford: Defective pistol holsters a smoking gun for An Garda Síochána
The shooting accident occurred on June 11, 2020. The detective involved was from the special detective unit. He had been assigned to the Israeli ambassador's residence on routine protective work. At around 4.30pm, his gun was accidentally discharged. He suffered injuries to his lower body that were significant but not life-threatening. It then emerged that concerns had been expressed in An Garda Síochána about holsters issued to armed members before the detective shot himself. When Detective Garda Colm Horkan was murdered with his own weapon a week later, these concerns were elevated and multiplied. An issue arose immediately as to whether or not the accident was in any way attributable to the quality of the holster the detective was wearing. There had been mumblings among some armed gardaí about the holster. A batch of these holsters had been acquired from a saddlery in the east of the country. The leather material was softer, and a safety feature that was part of the previous issued holster was off-centre and didn't cover the handle of the firearm. As a result, the firearm could be grabbed from within the holster by somebody else or, in some instances, the firearm could fall out of the holster. On the day after the incident outside the embassy, the detective's firearm, hip holster, magazines, and loose and spent rounds were delivered to the Garda National Technical Bureau for forensic examination. This is standard practice. The bureau routinely examines firearms and ammunition in criminal investigations. It has accredited testing and calibration laboratories that have achieved the IOS 17025 standard. The Garda Technical Bureau examines firearms and ammunition in criminal investigations. Picture: Colin Keegan When that was awarded in 2016, then commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan noted that 'achieving accreditation to this standard means that the Garda Technical Bureau is providing a high quality forensic investigation service to An Garda Síochána, the Criminal Justice System, and the public. This will help improve and ensure trust among the public in the criminal justice system'. So it was that the holster and other items were examined in conditions conforming to the highest standard. The ambassador residence incident occurred at least a year after a protected disclosure had been made over concerns about the holsters, among other issues. Included in that protected disclosure was an allegation about the method and reason for procuring the supplier of the controversial holster. There were also fears expressed about the safety of the holsters. Concerns were expressed elsewhere, including from the firearms training unit within the force and the corresponding unit in the training college in Templemore. On June 16, five days after the accidental shooting, an email was sent between officers from these respective units. 'As you are aware this issue was raised before with [another officer] about this particular make of holsters and pouch,' the mail read. 'This softer style was supposed in both Sig and Wather [makes of firearms] configuration. It proved dangerous… I concur with your recommendation that this make of holster and pouch should be withdrawn for safety reasons.' The following day, just before midnight on June 17, Det Garda Horkan stopped a man on a motorbike in the centre of Castlerea, Co Roscommon. The man, Stephen Silver, was apparently driving erratically. Just after the garda approached him, a struggle ensued. Det Garda Horkan's official firearm came loose from its holster and Silver managed to get his hands on it. He fired up to 15 shots, at least four of which hit Det Garda Horkan, killing him. Silver then waited until gardaí arrived on the scene five minutes later. He is now serving a life sentence for murder. Stephen Silver is serving a life sentence for the murder of Det Garda Colm Horkan. Picture: Colin Keegan Det Garda Horkan's holster was one of those acquired from the saddlery in Kildare. Early the following morning, a detective from the technical bureau examined the murder scene. He put the holster in a bag and tagged it as exhibit DOL2(a). For whatever reason, that holster was not sent to the bureau for examination. This was highly unusual. Following every shooting incident, it is the technical bureau, with its access to the IOS standard lab and practices, that is charged with conduction ballistic and associated investigations. Not in this case. Instead, the holster — but not the firearm or ammunition — was sent to another senior garda with an instruction to have it tested for serviceability. The reason for this is entirely unclear. This officer did pass it on to a sergeant who had experience with firearms training but was not an expert in either ballistics or firearms. A Garda spokesperson said the holster was tested by Forensic Science Ireland. The murder of Det Garda Horkan, in an incident where his attacker got access to his firearm, raised further concerns in sections of An Garda Síochána. One piece of correspondence from a senior officer is dated June 22, five days after the murder. 'Prior to the murder of Det Garda Horkan, the sergeants attached to firearms training were looking into problems with the official issue leather holster and magazine pouch. "I feel this now needs to be acted upon as a matter of urgency; I believe the issue had been flagged earlier and remedial work was carried out on the holster in order to make it more durable. "However, the problem still exists in that when weapons are being holstered, the leather gathers under the trigger guard and there is potential for an unintended discharge.' That letter was accompanied by further correspondence from officers in the firearms training unit recommending that 'these holsters and magazine pouches be removed from service on health and safety grounds'. Apart from all that, the technical bureau did its testing of the holster as per usual in the wake of the accidental shooting at the ambassador's residence. The murder of Detective Garda Horkan, in an incident where his attacker got access to his firearm, raised further concerns in sections of An Garda Síochána. Picture: Denis Minihane The results, while entirely removed from, and independent of, the correspondence referenced above, largely agreed with the conclusions that the holsters were dangerous. On March 4, Labour TD Alan Kelly, who has followed this story closely, read out in the Dáil what he said were the conclusions of the technical bureau examination. 'It was discovered by forensic experts attached to the Garda National Technical Bureau that the leather pistol holster issued to the member was so dangerously defective, the holster could actually engage the trigger and fire the weapon of its own accord,' Mr Kelly told the House. 'It was further identified by the ballistic experts, who operate under ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation, which is the legal requirement for all forensic laboratories, that the holster was so poorly designed, the firearm could be removed from the holster with so-called retention strap fully fastened. 'This left the gun open to removal by individuals other than the Garda member carrying the firearm. This critical health and safety risk later became the subject of a warning notice from the acting head of the Garda National Technical Bureau, given the very real concerns for the safety of Garda members.' The investigation of the holster's safety was a damning indictment. It concurred with the opinions generated in the firearms unit and the training college. In addition, and again entirely separately, the protected disclosure made in 2019 raised very similar concerns. If all of this was found to be factually and forensically accurate, it would represent a major scandal for An Garda Síochána. Bad enough that one garda had accidently shot himself. If defective equipment, about which fears had been expressed, contributed to a dangerous individual getting his hands on the member's weapon and murdering him, there would be a huge scandal. Such a scenario would not just invoke controversy among the public and the political class. Crucially, it would in all likelihood spark outrage internally within An Garda Síochána. However, the forensic examinations and opinions of experts were not the final word on the holsters' safety. As stated above, Det Garda Horkan's holster was dispatched to a senior officer who gave it onto a sergeant in his division who had experience in firearms training. He did not have access to the kind of laboratory conditions used in the technical bureau. He compiled a report suggesting that while the holster was not ideal, neither did it represent any danger to officers using it. This was contrary to the opinions expressed by others, as seen above, involved in firearms training. There was one more opinion or conclusion to throw into the mix. After the technical bureau returned its damning verdict on the examination of the holster in the ambassador residence accidental shooting, something unusual occurred. It was ordered from the upper echelons of the force that a second report be compiled. This was to be done by personnel in the Garda armoury, the unit that stores weapons, and the same unit that entered into a contract to acquire the holsters from the Kildare saddlery. No criticism The Irish Examiner understands that no criticism was ever made of the technical bureau's examination of the holster. Neither was there any suggesting that any individual officer in the bureau had erred, had any kind of conflict of interest, had done anything other than their professional duty, as per every other incident that they examined. Yet a second report was ordered. This was to be conducted by a unit that arguably was open to, at the very least, a perception of a conflict of interest. There is no reason to believe that this second report was conducted other than with the utmost integrity. In any event, the outcome was an opinion that the leather in the holster was more malleable than the model previously used, and there was an issue with a part of the stitching. Neither of these factors would render the holster dangerous in the manner that had been expressed by the technical bureau's examination or the opinions offered by personnel in the firearms training unit. There was now, within the force, a stark conflict of opinions on the safety of a holster that was used by officers involved in two shootings, one fatal. It would have been open to management within the force to seek an external expert opinion. If they were not happy with the result from the technical bureau, there was nothing to stop sending the holster to its equivalent unit in the PSNI, or one of the British policing divisions. That was not done. The holster was withdrawn later in 2020. In 2023, Mr Harris confirmed to then minister for justice Helen McEntee that all of the holsters in question had been withdrawn and shredded beyond use. Last Thursday, the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee heard that the contract for the holsters was valued at €500,000. Two postscripts to the matter that threw up other questions. A senior officer was appointed to investigate the protected disclosures made by the garda back in 2019. As part of the investigation, this officer required expert opinion on the holster. The Irish Examiner understands the officer was referred to the sergeant who had compiled the report on Det Garda Horkan's holster, the report that, to a large extent, gave the equipment the all-clear. Later again, the State Claims Agency, which oversees legal actions against state bodies like An Garda Síochána, wanted an opinion on the holster. Independent investigation call Again, it was referred to the same sergeant. A very simple question raises its head once more. Why, in both these cases, not to mind following Det Garda Horkan's murder, was the equipment not referred to the recognised authority on these matters, the technical bureau? Mr Kelly says that the whole issue around the holsters requires urgent independent investigation. Labour TD Alan Kelly says that the whole issue around the holsters requires urgent independent investigation. Picture: Stephen Collins 'I have been raising the issue of defective leather pistol holsters on issue to Garda members, for months now,' he said. 'I believe the safety of Garda members was put at risk. "Furthermore, it is abundantly clear that the concerns of those who spoke up about these defective leather pistol holsters were not welcome at the highest levels in An Garda Síochána. "Those who attempted to push this issue up the reporting structure to safeguard their colleagues have been treated appallingly. "This significant issue isn't going to go away for justice minister Jim O'Callaghan. He needs to address it and he needs to do so immediately. "There's no point in sticking his head in the sand and hoping it will go away. It won't.' A spokesperson for the Garda ombudsman Fiosrú said it cannot comment on anything to do with protected disclosures. A series of questions were submitted to the Garda press office. Each question, in general terms, received a response that An Garda Síochána would not or could not comment on the particulars. Read More Labour's Alan Kelly exposes alleged garda failures in gun safety and drug storage
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
Charity finance manager who raised concerns over accounts awarded €35,000 for dismissal
A charity has been ordered to pay its former finance manager nearly €35,000 for dismissing him 'wholly or mainly' because he voiced fears its accounts might not stand up to an audit. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) ruled that an email from the employee, a chartered accountant, looking for 'extra time' to investigate a loss of €33,000, sparked an 'adverse' response from its former chief executive. In a ruling just published, the WRC held back the charity's identity, despite the complainant's objections to holding the case in private, citing the nature of its work and the potential that a Garda probe into allegations of 'criminal conduct and financial irregularities' might be prejudiced. The charity asked that the case be entirely anonymised on the grounds that 'negative publicity' would lead to those using its services losing confidence. READ MORE The accountant, who represented himself before the WRC in March said he took up work with the charity as an independent contractor in June 2023 and joined its staff on September 30th that year. The charity's previous finance manager had been out sick before leaving the organisation, while an accounts assistant also left in October 2023, leaving the complainant responsible for the bookkeeping and payroll, and dealing with creditors as well, the tribunal heard. On October 26th, 2023, the complainant said, he told a board member, Mr A, he would have management accounts available 'as soon as possible' in response to a query. The organisation's chief executive wrote the following day, the eve of the October bank holiday weekend, asking after the accounts and stating they had been due the previous day. The claimant replied that he was looking into a 'draft loss of €33,000' and had identified matters requiring 'explanation and correction'. 'I must do a thorough clean up now in order to pass audit by end of January 2024. I need some extra time please,' the email concluded. When the chief executive said the board member would come to the office the following Tuesday to 'assist with the anomalies in the management accounts' the claimant expressed concerns about independence, the email thread submitted to the WRC read. The chief executive said he was 'comfortable' with the board member assisting. The complainant told the WRC the costs were being treated as current liabilities on the balance sheet and he was not confident they were being posted correctly. 'Substantial payments leaving the bank account in October 2023 triggered the query, and there was a snowball effect from there,' he said in his evidence, adding that he 'wanted to see what else was outstanding'. The claimant said he 'wasn't sure' at the time whether or not there was wrongdoing afoot at the charity but he was 'confident that company law was not being complied with and that books and records were not being kept, which is an offence'. He added that when he used the phrase 'pass audit' he 'did not do that lightly'. 'Accounts don't lie,' he said, adding that if he was in the place of his boss, he would have seen it as a 'red flag' and given more time to examine the matter instead of dismissing him. He called in sick the Tuesday after the bank holiday. The chief executive wrote to him on Thursday, November 2nd terminating his probationary employment with immediate effect. He had been a direct employee of the charity for just over a month. He also made formal written complaints to the Garda Fraud Squad, and the Charities Regulator the tribunal heard. The respondent's lawyers submitted that these complaints cited 'alleged misappropriation of funds by the CEO'. Una Clifford BL instructed by John Carroll of Crowley Millar Solicitors, for the charity, argued that the email was not a protected disclosure, but 'just another excuse' for delay due to 'poor performance'. The board member, Mr A, said he was an accountant himself and did not consider the complainant 'competent' in the role. Mr A accepted the accounts 'required improvement' but said they were not in 'as bad a state' as the complainant alleged. The chief executive, in his evidence, denied the email of October 27th was a protected disclosure. He said concerns were raised at a board meeting on Wednesday, November 1st about the complainant having 'inappropriate contact with service users', 'having his feet on the desk' and an 'issue' with Garda vetting. The accountant was terminated for poor performance, he added. The witness said the claimant had 'disobeyed a direct reasonable instruction' about going to a Friday coffee morning with service users. The claimant said he only ever went in the company of a professional employed by the charity. The tribunal also heard that in the days between the claimant writing his email and being dismissed, the charity's board discussed his Garda vetting application and noted in its minutes that he was 'not forthcoming' when he filled out the form. The claimant told the WRC that he had been bogged down with work and was delayed in submitting the application – but that in any event, the Garda vetting bureau had advised him he did not need to be vetted. He accepted when questioned that vetting was a term of his contract, but asked in response why he had been 'allowed on site without Garda vetting'. Adjudicator Michael MacNamee wrote that when he heard the evidence on the question of alleged inappropriate contact with service users, he was 'left with the impression that it was far less serious than was suggested in the submissions'. It lacked 'credibility' as a reason for dismissal, he added. Any issue around Garda vetting was 'no longer live' by the time it was brought before the board, he added. The adjudicator noted that both Mr A and the complainant were accountants, but neither could be said to be independent, so there was no independent expert evidence before him on the accounts. He concluded on the balance of probabilities that the charity had failed to rebut the presumption that the claimant had a 'reasonable belief that the accounts were not being kept in accordance with the legal requirements'. He concluded that the email of October 27th, 2023 from the complainant was a protected disclosure, and that this 'started a chain reaction which led directly to the complainant's dismissal'. The WRC ruled that the accountant's dismissal 'resulted wholly or mainly from the making by him of a protected disclosure'. Whatever concerns the chief executive had about the worker's performance 'whether justified or not', there was no written record of anything serious enough to require more than some 'coaching', the adjudicator wrote. He found the chief executive had a 'strong adverse reaction' to the email of October 27th, 2023 which was exacerbated by the complainant's emails pushing back on allowing Mr A becoming involved, and leading ultimately to the chief executive's patience running out. He ruled the worker was unfairly dismissed and awarded him €34,737 in compensation.
Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Gardaí arrest man (30s) and woman (40s) after seizing 3D printed firearms, ammo and drugs
The woman, in her 40s and the man aged in his 30s, are being held in Garda stations in Co Clare. It follows an operation earlier today involving members of the Shannon Detective Unit, Divisional Drugs Units, Armed Support Unit and the Regional Dog Unit who carried out searches at four domestic residences in Co Clare. Two 3D printed firearms along with ammunition were seized. In addition, cocaine to the value of €18,400 and cannabis to the value of €200, a large volume of counterfeit clothing and a quantity of cash was seized. Earlier, on Tuesday, June 17, gardaí attached to the Tipperary Drugs Unit searched a domestic residence in South Tipperary. Two 3D printed firearms along with ammunition were seized alongside cocaine to the value of €2,500 and cannabis worth €1,000. A Garda spokesperson said the man and woman are currently being detained under the provisions of Section 30 of the Offenses Against the State Act 1939 and Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 respectively. Gardai said the firearms will be subject to further ballistic testing and forensic analysis, while the drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.
