Drumaness man jailed for brandishing ‘gun’ at New Year revellers

Drumaness man jailed for brandishing ‘gun’ at New Year revellers

16 October 2019

A DRUMANESS man terrorised New Year revellers in a packed Ballynahinch pub by brandishing an imitation handgun after he was refused a drink, Downpatrick Crown Court has heard.

At last Friday’s hearing, Gareth David McConnell, of The Green, was sentenced to 16 months in jail, with half of the sentence to be spent out on licence.

The 36 year-old admitted possessing the imitation firearm with intent to cause fear or violence — which the judge said resembled a Gloch revolver —at the Primrose Bar on January 1.

The court heard that McConnell drank a 10-glass bottle of vodka and a bottle of Buckfast before heading out for a walk when he called into the Main Street bar at 1am.

A prosecution lawyer said that when McConnell was refused a drink, he became aggressive and reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the imitation handgun.

He brandished it towards bar staff and in the air, causing “great panic” in the packed bar. Several of the patrons tackled McConnell and one man disarmed him, with others restraining him until police arrived, added the barrister. 

He said that given the past conflict, the incident caused “great fear and alarm” in the busy bar as patrons did not know it was an imitation firearm.

The court heard that the firearm was a BB pellet air gun which was capable of firing hundreds of small pellets. McConnell was arrested but was not interviewed by police until 3.30pm later that day.

His defence barrister said while McConnell admitted that he must have done what was reported, he had trouble in acknowledging intent as he had “scant recollection” of the event.

McConnell found it hard to believe that he went out with the intention of causing alarm in a local bar, added the barrister.

While admitting that McConnell was responsible for “a very shocking incident”, his lawyer said that there were extenuating circumstances which led to the incident that night.

The barrister said that the coat McConnell was wearing belonged his late father who had been buried recently before the incident.

McConnell did not know the air gun was in the pocket when he left the house, added the barrister.

He said that McConnell’s father, a former policeman, had used the gun as a “personal safety deterrent”.

Along with the recent loss of his father, and his mother several years before, McConnell’s relationship with the mother of his youngest child had just broken down, added the barrister.

He said that McConnell was a man “drowning his sorrows that night, with the loss of his father, his mother, his child and his partner, and in his mind, he did not have much to live for…This was a moment of utter madness in his darkest hour”, said the barrister.

He said that McConnell had a problem with alcohol for years and since the incident, had sought treatment and been sober since April.

He acknowledged that his client had 13 previous public disorder convictions, most due to his drinking, and had been convicted of this in 2015 close to the same bar.

Summing up, Judge Geoffrey Miller said McConnell was responsible for a “shocking and callous incident which produced real fear and alarm”.

He added that by brandishing what looked like a real firearm, McConnell had behaved in an “aggressive and uncontrolled manner”.