Latest news with #NaasDistrictCourt
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Second shotgun linked to Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald found hidden in rural property
Unlicensed shotgun discovered during searches by gardaí after shooting Evan Fitzgerald, from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow, who died in a shooting incident at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Photo: PA An unlicensed shotgun believed to have been hidden away by Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald in a rural property while he was out on bail has been seized by gardaí. The shotgun was found at the home of a close associate of Fitzgerald's during a search by gardaí on Monday. The man living at that property is known to gardaí and is also before the courts on separate serious charges. He is not believed to have had any involvement in the incident on Sunday, when Fitzgerald (22) opened fire in a shopping centre in Carlow before taking his own life. 'The shotgun found in this search was not registered to anyone. The suspicion is that it belonged to the deceased,' a source said. It is suspected that the shotgun was placed at the property by the deceased 'It is not known where this weapon was procured, but it is suspected that the shotgun was placed at the property by the deceased. 'The individual who is connected to the property is known to gardaí, but not in relation to the incident at the shopping centre and is not a suspect for anything to do with that.' No arrests have yet been made in the case and there are no immediate plans for any detentions. Evan Fitzgerald, from Kiltegan in Co Wicklow, who died in a shooting incident at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Photo: PA Today's News in 90 seconds - 6th June 2025 It is understood Fitzgerald, who gardaí believe was suffering from mental health problems, had been renting a room in a property in Kilkenny city in the months before the shooting. He appeared before Naas District Court on March 4 last year, after being arrested as part of a garda investigation into the sale of firearms on the dark web. Fitzgerald walked free from court after gardaí consented to bail on strict conditions. On Sunday night, he discharged a number of shots in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life. No other injuries were reported from the gunfire. A young girl was injured running from the scene. Glass damaged by gunshot pellets at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town. Photo: Frank McGrath Fitzgerald was due to appear before the court again this week for service of the book of evidence and was facing 13 charges of possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive substances. Sources said it is believed Fitzgerald visited his associate in recent months and it was on one of those occasions that he stored the shotgun in the rural property. It was one of a number of properties searched by gardaí and army experts in the aftermath of Sunday's incident. In another search, two bullets were found in a barrel containing a suspicious mix of alcohol and sucrose/glucose, which could possibly be components for an explosive but were declared non-viable by the Defence Forces. Fitzgerald, who was described in court as having 'a fascination with firearms', sparked terror among shoppers when he began shooting in the Fairgreen Centre in Carlow.
Sunday World
6 days ago
- General
- Sunday World
Judge who oversaw Carlow shooter's release on bail wants to ‘set record straight'
'It's embarrassing what's in the papers,' he said. 'Gardaí in their view saw fit to consent to strict bail conditions in lieu of remand in custody'. A judge who oversaw the court sitting when Carlow gunman Evan Fitzgerald was released on bail on firearms charges has said he wants to 'set the record straight'. Judge Desmond Zaidan today hit out at 'sensational headlines' as well as 'misinformation', saying his powers had ceased once gardaí consented to Mr Fitzgerald being freed from custody. The 22-year-old appeared before Naas District Court on March 4, 2024, after being arrested as part of a garda investigation into the sale of firearms on the Dark Web. Fitzgerald, of Portrush Upper in Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, walked free from court along with his two co-accused after gardaí consented to bail on strict conditions. Evan Fitzgerald News in 90 June 4th On Sunday night he discharged a number of shots in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life. No other injuries were reported from the gunfire while a young girl was injured running from the scene. He was due to appear before the court again today for service of the book of evidence and was facing 13 charges of possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive substances. Detective Garda Brian Foran, of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), this afternoon made an application to have the charges against Evan Fitzgerald withdrawn on direction from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Evan Fitzgerald at Naas District Court last year (File photo by Steve Humphreys) During the proceedings, the court was told that Fitzgerald was deceased, with Judge Zaidan describing it as a suicide. The judge then addressed recent media reporting of the incident in Carlow, specifically on the issue of bail when Mr Fitzgerald first appeared before him last year. He said there had been a 'lot of misinformation in the press' and that gardaí had consented to bail. This, the judge said, meant he had no jurisdiction to oppose bail. 'So please, members of the press, please report sensibly', he said, asking journalists present to 'tread very carefully'. Judge Zaidan said bail had been granted with no objection from gardaí on strict bail conditions in lieu of custody. He said 'no judge has the power to overturn that' order from March 4, 2024. He addedsaid both he and his staff had since listened to visual and audio recordings of the court proceedings from that day. 'It's embarrassing what's in the papers,' he said. 'Gardaí in their view saw fit to consent to strict bail conditions in lieu of remand in custody'. The judge also said there were 'some sensational headlines' about objecting to bail. 'The reality is the gardaí consented to bail, my function ceased straight away. I have to set the record straight.' Judge Zaidan said that, while he hadn't been named in media reports, added that everyone knew what judge was sitting in Naas District Court. 'A lot of my friends are ringing me saying 'Des, everyone knows where you are'. Detective Garda Foran told the judge that, while he himself wasn't present in court that day, the issue wasn't in dispute. Judge Zaidan continued: 'I could not go behind that consent because I would be seen to acting outside of my powers. You see why I'm saying this, there's been a lot of headlines about a man on bail, no, at least report it, don't omit certain key things'. He noted that the charges against Evan Fitzgerald were contained in the book of evidence and said that the charges could formally be withdrawn in the circuit court.
Extra.ie
03-06-2025
- Extra.ie
Gardaí opposed bail for gunman at Carlow supermarket
A man who fired a shotgun in a crowded shopping centre in Co Carlow had 'a fascination with firearms' and was on bail facing charges of possessing automatic weapons he bought on the 'dark web'. It has also emerged that at a previous court hearing, gardaí opposed bail for Evan Fitzgerald, 22, who caused panic when he discharged the gun at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow town on Sunday evening, before fatally turning the weapon on himself following a stand-off with armed gardaí. The incident, in which a nine-year-old girl suffered minor injuries as she tried to flee, has sparked deep concerns over our bail regime, and there were calls last night for a wider review of laws in this area. Emergency services close to the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Fitzgerald was due in court later this week to face 13 charges relating to the alleged possession of guns, ammunition and explosive materials. Despite Garda objections, he was granted bail on a surety of €1,000 at a sitting of Naas District Court in March 2024, where he and two co-accused were charged with possession of a G3 Heckler and Koch machine gun, a Remington M1911 handgun and two types of ammunition at Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan, Co. Kildare. Detective Garda Gavin Curran of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the court: 'Mr Fitzgerald has a fascination with firearms. He is big time into firearms and ammunition.' A file image of Evan Fitzgerald. Pic: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin The release of a suspect facing 'very serious firearms charges' has prompted fresh calls for a review of Ireland's bail laws. Garda sources have told that Fitzgerald, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, had an obsession with firearms from an early age and was 'hellbent' on possessing rifles. 'Evan wanted automatic weapons. What we know is that he had a fascination with this type of gun,' a security source told 'It's not like he wanted a pistol or something of that nature. He wanted a machine gun, something capable of huge damage. He had this fascination as a young teenager, which developed over time.' At a press conference yesterday, Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hilman said no one was injured by the shots discharged, but a young girl suffered a minor leg injury after falling while running from the scene. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire 'This was meant to be a normal day out on a bank holiday weekend,' she said. 'This was a terrifying experience for every person that was present in the Fairgreen Shopping Centre yesterday evening.' In March last year, Fitzgerald and two accomplices were stopped by officers investigating firearms trafficking with support from the Emergency Response Unit. It was alleged that the firearms and ammunition were purchased by Fitzgerald on the so-called 'dark web' – a hidden part of the internet frequently used for the sale of illicit goods such as drugs and guns – using an encrypted 'proton' email account. Assistant Garda Commissioner Paula Hillman. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Detective Garda Curran said that under questioning by gardaí, Fitzgerald made 'full and frank admissions related to the purchase of these firearms', for which he had paid €2,700. The firearms were handed over to gardaí in a face-to-face meeting. While gardaí believed the weapons were purchased as part of a 'hobby' and were to be used for shooting in the woods, they raised concerns that they could have fallen into the hands of serious criminals. Gardaí had objected to bail in court, but acceded under strict conditions, including that Fitzgerald not contact the other two accused, adhere to a curfew between midnight and 6 am and avoid illegal activity online. Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Sinn Féin's justice spokesman, Matt Carthy, said that it was deeply concerning that the gunman was on bail for very serious firearms charges. Writing on today, he welcomes an upcoming review of bail for repeat offenders promised by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, but said yesterday that there needs to be a wider review of the enforcement and operation of the nation's bail laws. He highlighted figures on firearms offences by those on bail, which were revealed to him in May. saying: 'In March, I received a reply to a parliamentary question that revealed that 40,348 crimes committed in 2024 were committed by those on bail. 'This was a shocking number and I made the point then that bail laws would need to be examined…. A number of weeks ago, I received further details regarding the number of very serious crimes committed by those on bail, including sexual assaults, robberies, possession of offensive weapons and possession of firearms. 'If we are to deliver safer communities and reduce the level of crime, we cannot accept a situation where this level of crime, particularly very serious crimes, are being carried out by those on bail.' He added: 'The fact that the person who carried out the shooting at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow was on bail, having been charged with offences associated with purchasing an assault rifle on the dark web, raises many questions. 'This weapon was seized along with a handgun and multiple types of ammunition, and he was arrested by specialist gardaí from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who were assisted by armed officers from the Emergency Response Unit. This tells us just how serious a matter this was. 'We are extremely lucky that no one else was seriously injured or killed in this incident.' A spokeswoman for Minister O'Callaghan said yesterday: 'The minister will not comment specifically on yesterday's incident in Carlow beyond his statement already issued as it remains a live Garda investigation.' When asked about a wider review of bail laws, they pointed to the minister's 'recent announcement that Lorcan Staines SC is to assess current bail laws and make any recommendations he believes are appropriate, taking into account the requirements of constitutional justice.'
