A man who intended to shoot his stepson with a sawn-off shotgun after a family dispute has been jailed for five years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Charles O'Neill sought out Mr Thomas Fitzgerald after Mr Fitzgerald had punched his own mother in the face. According to O'Neill's sister, he also threatened to burn down the family home.
O'Neill (37), of Francis Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of a gun and ammunition with intent to endanger life in Blanchardstown on September 8th, 1997. Sgt Michael O'Sullivan said O'Neill had been the common-law husband of Mr Fitzgerald's mother for 11 years.
On September 8th, 1997, Mr Fitzgerald assaulted his mother and a sister. Another sister phoned O'Neill in a pub. He loaded two cartridges into a shotgun and returned to the pub, where he was later arrested.
Mr Paul McDermott SC, defending, said his client had tried to do his best for Mr Fitzgerald up to the day of the offence, and had abandoned his plans to shoot Mr Fitzgerald when he calmed down.
Judge Elizabeth Dunne said it was worrying that he had not handed the gun over to the Garda. She set a review date in January 2000.