Grandfather sentenced over feud shotgun that could have caused ‘havoc’ at fleadh

By Tom Tuite

A grandfather intercepted carrying a “lethal” sawn-off pump action shotgun during a heightened family feud in Mullingar is to be jailed for a year.

The seizure, which followed a dramatic car chase, unfolded in a packed area where crowds were heading to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann events in the Westmeath town last year.

Today, Friday, Judge Keenan Johnson praised gardaí for their “pre-emptive actions” in catching John Nevin, 55, and his 33-year-old son David.

He said he “shuddered to think” about the havoc that could have been caused by the weapon, originally stolen in a burglary in Athenry, County Galway 20 years ago.

Imposing sentence, Judge Johnson noted that the men were deemed by the Probation Service to be at moderate risk of reoffending.

The pair had brought €15,000 to court, which the judge ordered be awarded to an assault victim in an unrelated case.

Judge Johnson heard that John Nevin, who had procured the illegal firearm, had claimed he feared his mother’s house would be subject to arson, and his son David, who represented Ireland in boxing as a youth, wanted to protect his father, and not cause harm.

The judge said that logic did not add up, and people carrying guns tended to use them, intentionally or otherwise.

Father and son stood silently with their heads bowed as the judge rebuked them over an incident he described as “inherently dangerous and reckless” and which happened as gardaí had been encouraging the feuding factions to make peace.

The offences carry a maximum 14-year sentence and a minimum term of five years unless the defendants can convince the court there were specific and exceptional circumstances.

The judge said he had to send a warning and imposed a two-and-a-half-year sentence on John Nevin.

Noting mitigating factors, including an early guilty plea, he suspended the final 18 months on condition John Nevin keep the peace for seven years.

He was granted a Christmas reprieve, as the judge order his jail term to commence on January 3; he was also handed a three-year driving ban.

David Nevin, who was less culpable, has to carry out 240 hours of community service in lieu of an 18-month jail sentence.

John Nevin, of Columb Drive, and father of four David Nevin, the Cedars, Lakepoint, in Mullingar, had pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to offences under the Firearms Act for unlawful possession of the Winchester pump action shotgun and five cartridges at Columb Drive in Mullingar on August 9, 2023.

John Nevin also admitted endangerment of life and dangerous driving charges over his attempt to flee from gardaí about to intercept him and his son.

The judge heard mitigating evidence from Fr Eamon O’Driscoll, who knew the men for years. He said they were good family men and was shocked they were involved in this offence.

The priest agreed with the defence teams that the feud, which had escalated through social media, had ended following engagement with the Traveller Mediation Service.

Detective Sergeant Adrian Regan had said it was between two sides of the Nevin family.

Detective Sergeant Regan said he and Detective Inspector Tom Quinn had spoken to members of the other faction. They exited a local housing estate when they noticed John Nevin’s 2014-reg Vauxhall Insignia approaching.

They were in an unmarked garda car and signalled John Nevin to stop.

However, he sped up; David Nevin was also in the car with the passenger seat reclined.

The detective sergeant said John Nevin was driving in an edgy fashion, rounded a corner and accelerated. He came to a junction and, with “tyres smoking”, overtook a car, which was forced to take evasive action.

There were lots of pedestrians about and stewards manning junctions for the fleadh. Detective Sergeant Regan had activated his lights and sirens. John Nevin stopped, but David Nevin “jumped out of the vehicle”.

“He was holding an object wrapped in a shopping bag; it appeared, I knew from my experience, that it was a sawn-off shotgun,” he said.

Detective Sergeant Regan identified himself as he drew his official firearm and told David Nevin to drop the bag.

David Nevin crossed a fence into a garden and threw the bag under a trailer in a driveway, but Detective Inspector Quinn retrieved it.

Detective Sergeant Regan followed David Nevin and told him to stop, which he did after about a 60-yard chase. He was arrested and apologised.

The shotgun was not loaded; five 12-gauge cartridges were also in the bag.

The detective sergeant also said the men did not cause any hassle in garda custody and agreed it was out of character for them.

John Nevin had 14 prior convictions, mainly from the District Court, including production of an article in a dispute, and criminal damage.

In 2010, he received a three-year suspended sentence in the Circuit Court for violent disorder over his role in a riot in Mullingar in 2008. The court heard that each man had family members who depended on them.

His son, David, had four convictions between 2019 and 2021 in the District Court for drink-driving, possessing drugs, breaching Covid regulations and obstructing gardaí, which resulted in fines and a two-year road ban.

Neither has come to further garda attention, and they complied with the terms of their €20,000 bail. They spent three weeks in custody after being charged in August last year.