Pensioner travelled with false passport and brought air-rifle back from UK

A 76-year-old man who brought an air-rifle back from the UK to his home in Ballyporeen travelled regularly for ten years on a passport in a false name.

Thomas Ryan of 9 Riverview, Ballyporeen, County Tipperary, pleaded guilty to charges arising out of the case at Cork District Court.

Detective Garda Joanne O’Sullivan of the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation gave evidence of the background to the offences of giving false information to obtain a passport and possession of a firearm, 5.5 caibre Crossman Phantom model air rifle.

Det Garda O’Sullivan said false information was supplied by the accused to get a passport in another man’s name and this falsely obtained passport was then used ten years later in an attempt to get a replacement passport online more recently.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said: 

“The gun was found in the course of a search. It was determined to be a firearm.” 

Mr Buttimer said the 76-year-old from Ballyporeen had been living and working in the UK for many years.

“There is a lengthy explanation for the reasons he acquired the passport,” the solicitor said but did not go into it in detail in court.

As for the air rifle, he said there was nothing sinister about it and that the pensioner had it for shooting “vermin and pheasant.” 

Judge Olann Kelleher said his concern was that the passport in the false name was being used regularly for ten years to travel between Ireland and the UK.

However, the judge imposed a nine-month suspended sentence on the 76-year-old.

“I will give him a break if he wants to lead his life in a proper fashion in Ballyporeen from now on,” Judge Kelleher said at Cork District Court.