A man has been jailed for seven years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for his role in falsely imprisoning a mother and her children at gunpoint. Thomas Murphy (25) was "a minor player in a big league" in the crime which culminated in two shots from a sawn-off shotgun being fired at the woman's brother, defence counsel Mr George Birmingham said.
Judge Kieran O'Connor said "small players have to pay the cost in serious crimes" but Murphy could seek a review of sentence in 1999.
Murphy, of Swansnest Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin, pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning five people at a house in Drimnagh on May 2nd, 1995 and to having ammunition with intent to endanger life on the same date.
Garda Frank O'Neill told prosecuting counsel Mr Padraig Dwyer that Murphy and two other men came into the woman's house around 6 p.m. and held her and her two young children captive.
Later, her cousin and her husband arrived at the house and were also falsely imprisoned by the gang, one of whom said they would wait until morning if necessary for the woman's brother to come home.
Garda O'Neill said that when her brother arrived at the house the first shot was fired at him. He was hit in the hand which he had instinctively put up before his face and the force of the blast blew him across the garden.
He got up and ran to a nearby house, followed by two of the gang, including the man with the gun. He crawled under a car and a second shot hit him in the face and chest. He recovered from his injuries after treatment in hospital.