'Like something from downtown LA rather than Rochestown': Father and son jailed after shot fired in Garda raid

A judge said the firing of a home-made slam-bang shotgun at gardaí searching a house for weapons was like something from “downtown Los Angeles rather than Rochestown” - as she jailed the father of the family for nine years.

56-year-old James Keenan was sentenced to a total of ten years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Helen Boyle said, “What happened was like something that would happen in downtown Los Angeles rather than Rochestown. Great credit is due to the guards that no lives were lost that day.

“You (James Keenan) deliberately aimed and took fire at a member of An Garda Síochána.” 

The judge said Detective Garda Emma Hennebry handed in a victim impact statement which she did not want to be read out but the judge said the detective’s view had changed in relation to the danger that she and her colleagues experienced in front line policing.

Detective Inspector Daniel Coholan testified that Garda Hennebry saw James Keenan sitting on a couch discharging what she believed was a shotgun. She saw the long barrel. She shouted, “Shot being fired.” 

“The door of the sitting room was then banged shut. Garda Hennebry felt an impact to her left arm,” Det. Insp. Coholan testified. It was later found to be a soft tissue injury with no bone damage and was caused by what Det. Insp. Coholan described as “the energy from the cartridge.” 

An improvised shotgun made from iron bars, known as a slam bang shotgun, was recovered. The detective inspector said, “It is very crude, very effective, it works every time, it doesn’t jam.” 

James Keenan said that when the gardaí came that day he believed it was the McDonaghs breaking into the house as there was a feud going on.

Referring to the improvised shotgun, James Keenan said, “I grabbed the yoke for frightening crows. When I am in the sitting room in my imagination I let the shot off just to frighten the McDonaghs.” 

'SECOND MOST CULPABLE'

Peter Keenan, 28, was jailed for five years with the last year suspended for being “the second most culpable” person on the day.

Det. Insp. Coholan said, “Peter Keenan was holding a shotgun by the barrel. It was pointed downwards to the ground. It appeared that he was readying the gun.” 

Ms Fawsitt said, “He had taken out the cartridge. The gun was never raised.” Det. Insp. Coholan said, “If it was raised, there might have been a different outcome.” 

Judge Boyle accepted that whatever it looked like to gardaí witnessing him with the shotgun, he was – in fact - not readying it to fire but was taking out a cartridge.

Michael James Keenan, 20, and John Keenan, 26, both had sentencing in their cases adjourned for one year by Judge Boyle.

On Thursday April 29, 2021, gardaí went to the house at 1 Island View, Rochestown, with a search warrant. Sergeant Brian Teehan of the armed support unit then went in a group of six armed officers to the house, four approaching from the front and two from the back. They were all wearing full tactical gear for an operation designated as high risk.

Gardaí forced in the front door and Garda Emma Hennebry shouted, “Armed gardaí.” That was when James Keenan fired.

As well as this weapon, gardaí also recovered 20 live shotgun rounds, one discharged shotgun cartridge, 23 petrol bombs, pitchforks, slash-hooks and a broken pool cue.

The cartridges were found in various places, including a wall vent, a glasses case and a vase.

Two of the petrol bombs were found on the landing of the house, four in one of the bedrooms, two in another and 13 were found in a Heineken box in a shed.

There was a large TV screen in the house showing CCTV coverage of the armed support unit coming to the house.

Father of ten, James Keenan pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm – an improvised shotgun - to endanger life, possession of explosives, ammunition and assault causing harm to Garda Hennebry.

Peter Keenan of Island View, Rochestown Road, admitted possessing the firearm in suspicious circumstances and having ammunition and explosives.

John Keenan, of Glengarriff, County Cork, admitted possession of the improvised shotgun and cartridges in suspicious circumstances.

Michael James Keenan of Island View, Rochestown, Cork, pleaded guilty to having a firearm in suspicious circumstances.

Lawyers for the accused said the Keenan family were living “in terror” when they resorted to extraordinary and illegal measures to defend themselves from another family in a feud.

Tom Creed senior counsel said on behalf of the man described as the family patriarch, James Keenan, “Now if there were any difficulties he would go straight to An Garda Síochána rather than take the law into his own hands.”