Gardai found a stash of alleged weapons in the boot of a Fanad man’s car after they stopped the vehicle to carry out a routine search.
Gardai opened the boot of the car, being driven by Aaron McNutt in Letterkenny, and found a range of items including a handgun, a pistol, five rifles, a sword and an axe.
The driver of the car, Aaron McNutt, appeared at Letterkenny District Court following the incident. He is charged with a number of counts of possession of an imitation firearm.
McNutt, of Glinsk, Kindrum, is charged with ten charges that he did without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, have in his possession a realistic imitation firearm.
The charge is contrary to section 9A of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act, 1990 as inserted by section 40 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009.
Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that Gardai stopped a car at College Road in Letterkenny at 3.45am on July 28, 2023 to carry out a routine search under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
When they questioned the driver, McNutt, they found a flick knife in his possession. After carrying out a further search of the vehicle, officers located the large cache of items in the boot.
Sergeant Collins said that McNutt made full admissions when question. McNutt told gardai that he admitted ownership of the items.
Having heard the range of weapons found, Judge Eiteain Cunningham said she was refusing jurisdiction in the case.
“It is a significant number of items,” Judge Cunningham said.
She added that she was adjourning the case until December 16 to allow for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Solicitor Frank Dorrian said he wanted to point out to the court that four of the items recovered were not actual firearms but referred to them as “toys which fire pellets.”
“There was nothing to suggest that they were to be wielded or used,” Mr Dorrian said. “The number was deceptive. The others were deemed to be authentic-looking replicas.”
Judge Cunningham added that she was still refusing jurisdiction in the matter and adjourned the case.