A plumber at St Vincent's Hospital has been given a five-year suspended sentence for storing firearms and ammunition in the boiler room, mortuary and hospital walls.
Det Garda Martin Connolly told Mr Tom O'Connell, prosecuting, the guns and ammunition were recovered in 1996 during the garda investigation of the Veronica Guerin murder.
Larry Byrne (50), married with three children, from Old Court View, Firhouse pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six sample charges out of about 100, for the possession of firearms and ammunition for unlawful purposes on August 15th and 16th, 1996.
Det Gda Connolly said Byrne had been involved for some years in the illegal trade of firearms and was arrested in connection with a Mauser gun which had been used in 1994 in a murder in Co Wicklow by another firearms enthusiast.
He said Byrne had no advanced knowledge or connection with the murder and claimed he was "disturbed" when he learned of it. He had three previous convictions, two of which were for firearms offences.
He has not held a firearms licence since 1990 and has since lost his job at St Vincent's Hospital.