A 59-year-old man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to the conversion of a blank-firing hand gun and its attempted sale as a useable weapon.
Gerard Tennyson, described by police as being from west Belfast but with an address in Drumellan Gardens in Craigavon, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court to 30 months, half to be served behind bars and half on licence.
He had pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances, conversion of the blank firing gun into a useable firearm and exposing a firearm for sale.
Judge Philip Gilpin told the defendant on Monday that while the revolver did not fire every time during tests, “the court cannot ignore the fact that if used, this weapon could have caused death or serious injury”.
The judge also said the weapon had not been used in any crimes but it was a factor that Tennyson had offered it “for sale for financial gain”.
Police first searched Tennyson’s home address on April 22, 2023, and discovered an illegally held, converted firearm inside the property.
But then “an examination of his mobile device was conducted, and police identified his involvement in the conversion and sale of illegally held firearms”, a senior member of the PSNI’s Serious Crime Branch said.
“Illegal firearms are strongly associated with crime and violence. We want to reiterate that the illegal possession or use of firearms is unacceptable in any modern society and are committed to apprehending perpetrators,” the spokesperson for the branch added.
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates our commitment to keeping people safe from the fear, intimidation and control, illegal firearms can cause.”
Tennyson’s defence argued it was not a real firearm and, therefore, did not fall under firearms legislation.
But the court heard that during a firing test exercise, video-recorded and witnessed by defence experts, it was established that the gun could successfully fire, “but not every time”.
