Father and son caught with ‘lethal’ sawn-off shotgun during family feud

The seizure was in an area where crowds were heading to Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann events in the town last year.

At Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Keenan Johnson praised gardaí for catching John Nevin, 55, and his 32-year-old son David.

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

John Nevin, of Columb Drive, and David Nevin, the Cedars, Lakepoint, in Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, pleaded guilty to offences under the Firearms Act for unlawful possession of the Winchester pump action shotgun and five cartridges at Columb Drive.

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.

Sentencing was adjourned, and the father and son were remanded on continuing bail to appear again in November. Probation reports on the pair will be furnished to the court.

Today, Detective Sergeant Adrian Regan agreed with John Hayden BL, prosecuting, that arose during a feud between two sides of the Nevin family in the town.

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, and 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 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 him 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, and five 12-gauge cartridges were also in the bag.

Gardaí detained the father and son under the Offences Against the State Act, and both exercised their right to silence during their interviews.

The detective sergeant also said they did not cause any hassle in garda custody.

He agreed with the defence that they lived locally and went about their business, and 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.

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.

The court heard the feuding parties “now seem to be getting on okay” since this incident and the commencement of a “mediation process.”

Judge Johnson described the gun as a “lethal weapon” and noted it had been sourced illegitimately.

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.