A 36-year-old man has gone on trial in Limerick for possession of a loaded semi-automatic hand- gun which gardaí found in the glove compartment of a car.
Ibrihme Hassan, with an address in Celbridge, Co Kildare, is charged with possession of a Sphinx semi-automatic pistol on June 14th last at Prospect Hill, Limerick.
He is also charged with possession of six rounds of .38mm ammunition on the same date.
Mr Hassan, an Egyptian national, denies both charges. He was assisted at Limerick Circuit yesterday by an interpreter when the trial began before Judge Carroll Moran.
In his opening address, counsel for the State John O'Sullivan told the jury that gardaí located a hand-gun in the glove compartment of a Silver Ford Galaxy which they searched on June 14th last year. Mr O'Sullivan said the weapon had five rounds of ammunition in its magazine and there was one round in the breach of the gun when it was found.
The court heard the gun was found by gardaí who were on duty in an unmarked patrol vehicle in the Edward Street area of the city where they observed two vehicles, a Silver Ford Galaxy and a black Volkswagen Golf.
Det Sgt Kevin McHugh told the court he saw the accused take an object out of his jacket and put it into the glove-compartment of the Ford Galaxy before getting into the Golf. Gardaí stopped the Golf and Det Sgt McHugh took a key from one of the occupants which opened the Ford Galaxy where he found the gun.