PSNI constable gets conditional discharge for breaching terms of his firearms certificate after weapons found in loft
A serving police officer has been handed a two-year conditional discharge after he admitted breaching the terms of his firearms certificate.
Glen Downey was due to appeal his conviction today but defence counsel Thomas McKeever confirmed to the County Court in Antrim, the 52-year-old now accepted his conviction.
He added however, that Constable Downey was still appealing the £500 fine he was handed in the lower court.
Judge Philip Gilpin heard how the 52-year-old had already left for work on March 20 last year, when his colleagues called at the north Antrim home of his then partner.
During a search of the property, they discovered weaponry, including a high-velocity rifle, a shotgun, his personal protection weapon and a quantity of ammunition in the loft, along with two magazines in the garage.
None of the items were securely held in a gun cabinet and accordingly, Constable Downey, whose address was given as c/o PSNI Brooklyn, Knock Road, was charged with failing to comply with the conditions of his certificate.
Initially, Downey had sought to argue that due to mechanical problems he was having with his car at the time, he was worried about breaking down on the way to work and having a “boot full of guns,” while waiting for a recovery truck.
Instead, he considered the “least worst” option was to break the guns down and put them to the back of the loft, inside a locked house.
When the case was dealt with in the magistrates’ court, he was handed a £500 fine and £15 offender levy.
Today, Judge Gilpin granted the appeal and varied the sentence to a two-year conditional discharge.