Two cousins who carried out a "drive-by" shooting with a high-powered Kalashnikov AK-47 automatic rifle have each been jailed for seven years.
Both accused had claimed that they were ordered to carry out the shooting by "more powerful" elements on one side of a bitter Limerick feud.
Ross Cantillon (20), St Mary's Park, and Roy Woodland (20), Canon Breen Park, were appearing for sentencing before Judge Carroll Moran at Limerick Circuit Court.
At Tuesday's sitting, the court heard that both accused had themselves been victims of a number of shooting and stabbing incidents as part of the vicious feud.
Woodland had his right leg amputated after he was shot by opposing factions and on another occasion he nearly died when he was stabbed in the head.
His cousin, Ross Cantillon, had suffered two perforated lungs in a separate stabbing incident connected to the ongoing family dispute.
Judge Carroll Moran observed yesterday that the extent of their injuries was "a measure of the insanity" of all the fighting involved in the feud.
Both men were charged with possession of the Kalashnikov rifle, as well as possession of 22 rounds of ammunition and unlawful possession of a car on August 23rd last.
When the trial began in February, the cousins had initially denied the charges but later changed their pleas to guilty.
Mr John McCarthy had been sitting outside his house in Cliona Park, Moyross, when he saw a white car coming into the estate. He saw someone in the car holding a gun and he dived to the ground as some 11 shots of automatic gunfire sprayed his house, narrowly missing his young son.
Cantillon had been driving the stolen car. Woodland, who fired the Kalashnikov, lost control of the high-powered automatic weapon and narrowly avoided injury.
A bullet from the Romanian-made AK-47 rifle was accidentally discharged into the glove compartment in the passenger seat where Woodland was sitting, the court heard.
Shortly after the shooting, gardaí found the car two miles away outside a pub in Meelick, Co Clare, where a botched attempt had been made to set fire to the vehicle.
The weapon was found in a hedge by gardaí the next day.
Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Moran said he could not accept submissions by the accused that they did not intend to kill anyone and were merely trying to "scare" Mr McCarthy.
"Both accused were only a couple of inches away from being on a murder charge at the Central Criminal Court.
This incident was part of a feud which had been taking place for some time and society at large cannot tolerate this type of incident," said Judge Moran.
He said if the accused had persisted with a not guilty plea and were convicted they would have faced a 12-year sentence.
Judge Moran imposed a 12-year sentence but suspended the last five years and refused leave to appeal.