Posted on 09/06/2007 5:26:28 PM PDT by kiriath_jearim
A man who was arrested recently while in possession of a heavy-duty handgun has had his bail on this matter upheld at a vacation sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he claimed he had been offered it for self defence following threats against his life.
John Mangan, aged 39, Larkhill Road, Whitehall claimed a girl had handed him the Magnum revolver on the road outside the Comet Pub in Santry minutes before his arrest in the premises.
He told Judge Terence O'Sullivan that he knew nothing about guns and couldn't say what make or type of gun it had been.
Mr Mangan said he had been offered the gun by a man he refused to name after he was notified of threats against his life by gardai. He had agreed to take the gun a week before his arrest and had asked for an unloaded gun.
He said he had taken the gun out of the bag it had been in when he discovered there were three rounds of bullets in the bag as well.
He told Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, his intention had been to get rid of the bullets and that was why they were in his hand when he was arrested.
He told Mr Patrick Geraghty, for the State, that he hadn't got a bullet-proof vest, because he didn't know how to get one but he was offered the gun. He said his first priority was his own safety and that of his family. "My concern is for myself, my common-law wife and my three children."
Mr Mangan said he knew absolutely nothing about guns and could not even identify the gun he had been given but said it looked "around the same size as I've seen on TV."
He had been told by gardaí in several different stations and also on the street that his life was under threat and he had "lost count" of the number of threats he had received but thought it was "eight to ten".
Mr Geraghty told Judge O'Sullivan that it was regrettable that "threats are made more frequently in this society every day but that does not allow people to tool up and carry a loaded firearm."
Mr Geraghty pointed out that a Magnum revolver cannot be held legally in this country and Mr Mangan's bail conditions for a previous matter had required him not to do anything further to break the law.
Judge O'Sullivan refused to revoke Mr Mangan's bail because no offence had been proved against him. "I have to take into account the very human reaction that this man had to protect himself, regardless of whether the firearm had been legally held," he said.
Another proud race of humanity on the road to Hell!
Is there more to this story because I am not seeing a description of this......oh wait, I get it now. Guns are bad and that is all we need to know.
What these pukes don't understand is that when only a few have guns the overwhelming majority of people will have good reason to fear those with guns. However, when everyone can have a gun and you don't know who's carrying, the bad guys have good reason to fear everyone else and leave everyone alone.
The other thing these pukes don't realize is that guns don't leap out of holsters and fire themselves.
What I find amusing is that I own a Dan Wesson handgun that can fire a .38, a .357 or a .357 Magnum! I guess the Magnum shell is much more deadly than the other two right?
/bangy vs BIG bangy!
.22 magnum probably. The most powerful handgun in the world. Or at least in Ireland. Or at least in the hands of a law abiding citizen. Not that he’s law abiding anymore. Tried to protect his life and his families life. Strictly forbidden you know.
I guess the Magnum shell is much more deadly than the other two right?
Well, yes.
Translation: Just roll over and die meekly, sheep.
So this means that if I go to Ireland I probably should leave the Super Blackhawk at home?
Sometimes trouble comes looking for you. Other times, you go looking for trouble. This guy was doing both.
Kind of like the difference in getting hit by a semi or a dump truck? Either way you are dead.
I’ve retired my Python. Bought new in 73 and have less than 200 rounds through it. Its in nearly perfect shape and I have other guns to shoot. #1 son will get it.
You have a Dan Wesson that can only chamber and fire .38 Specials and .357 Magnums.
*** I have other guns to shoot. #1 son will get it.***
And he will probably take it to the nearest pawn shop and get a Blackberry or ipod.;-D
A .357 is nothing but a .38 with 25% more powder load. (longer casing)
Your Dan Wesson can only fire two rounds, the .38 special and the .357, which is commonly called a magnum. A .357 and .357 magnum are the same round when we are talking about revolvers.
He "had" the handgun, and the people have been "had" by their rulers.
.22 magnum a dump truck? Don’t think so. More like a motorcycle. It can kill you but you’ve got a pretty good chance of making it.
“when he discovered there were three rounds of bullets in the bag as well. “
This reporter and editor really know a lot about weapons don’t they.
What’s sad in this story is that the guy’s life was threatened and he gets a revolver (apparently), but does not want it to be loaded. He then sees there are three rounds in the bag and wants to immediately dispose of them.
Exactly how did this guy feel the revolver would protect him without any lead in it? About the stupidiest thing in the world you can do is point an unloaded gun at someone.
The sad part of the story is the guy wants to protect his family with a firearm, but is so afraid of the firearm that he doesn’t want it to actually be loaded.
He has all that sh*t plus a mod 22 Glock and three or four other bangers.
Pussies. I think I’ll conquer Ireland this weekend if there’s nothing on TV.
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