A detective garda has told a court that 3D-printed firearms are becoming “more common” across the country.
Detective Garda Niall White made the remarks during the sentencing hearing of 21-year-old Craig McKeever at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reports RTE.
McKeever, of Virginia Park in Finglas, Dublin 11, admitted possessing a 3D-printed .22 calibre handgun along with three rounds of ammunition.
“These are guns which are printed on a 3D printer machine and are becoming more prevalent in country,” Det Gda White told Judge Elma Sheahan, reports RTE.
He said the weapons are “small in nature and easy to conceal”, are “made of polymer” and cannot be detected using a metal detector. He added that they are fully operational and deadly firearms.
Det Gda White noted that 3D printers can be purchased for many legitimate purposes, and said that “if you get the correct programme, you can print a lethal firearm like this”, reports RTE.
McKeever received a prison sentence of four years and six months, with the final six months suspended under strict conditions.
Det Gda White told prosecuting counsel Joe Mulrean BL that gardaà were patrolling the Inchicore area on 24 June 2025 when they observed McKeever and another man entering a taxi, reports RTE.
Gardaà asked McKeever to step out of the vehicle. After detecting a strong smell of cannabis from him, they informed him they intended to carry out a search.
Following caution, McKeever told officers he had cannabis on him and that he was wearing a bulletproof vest. Cannabis worth €500 was later discovered in his jacket pocket, reports RTE.
As the bulletproof vest was being removed, an army green .22 calibre pistol fell to the ground. The court heard it appeared to have been hidden underneath the vest.
McKeever was arrested and the firearm was seized. One round of ammunition was loaded in the pistol, while two additional rounds were also recovered, reports RTE.
The weapon was made safe and later examined by the Garda Technical Bureau, which confirmed the firearm was operational and capable of firing the ammunition that had been found.
“I picked it up to deliver it, that’s all I’m saying,” McKeever told gardaà during interview, reports RTE.
When asked by officers whether he had been carrying the firearm for his own protection, McKeever replied: “Just delivering”, reports RTE.
McKeever has 14 previous convictions, including one for theft, one drugs offence and nine relating to road traffic matters.
Det Gda White agreed with defence counsel Kieran Kelly BL that gardaà were unaware McKeever was wearing a bulletproof vest or carrying a firearm when they initially stopped him, reports RTE.
The court also heard and accepted that McKeever’s entire family had received official notices from gardaà warning of a verified threat against their lives.
Mr Kelly said his client instructed that he had entered into a relationship with a girl, which angered another man who had previously been involved with her. Det Gda White said he was aware of an ongoing feud, although not how it had started, reports RTE.
Defence counsel continued that McKeever had been challenged to a “straightener” by the third party, had won the fight and that later the same day his family home was targeted in a firebomb attack. The detective confirmed the property had been set alight in July 2024.
The garda also agreed there was no evidence to suggest McKeever had the ability or technology to manufacture the firearm himself, and noted he had entered signed guilty pleas at District Court level, reports RTE.
Det Gda White further accepted that McKeever had not come to further garda attention since the incident and had maintained a low profile.
The court was handed letters from McKeever’s father and two neighbours.
McKeever’s father gave evidence in court, outlining how the family had experienced intimidation, including the firebombing of their home and a later pipe bomb attack on the property, reports RTE.
He said all members of the family had received threat notifications from gardaÃ. “We’re all devastated about what has happened,” he said, adding that Craig could no longer leave the house alone, reports RTE.
Mr Kelly asked the court to take the wider circumstances into account, saying that while they did not excuse possession of a firearm, they did help explain the context.
He said that although his client may have won a boxing match, he had suffered a “defeat in life” and had since been subjected to intimidation, reports RTE.
While imposing sentence, Judge Sheahan said the courts were “only too aware of the trauma and detriment caused to society by the use of guns on the streets” of Dublin and elsewhere around the country.
Offence represents ‘serious escalation’ in offending
The judge acknowledged McKeever’s signed guilty plea but said it “must be viewed in the context of the evidence that the accused was caught red-handed”, reports RTE.
Judge Sheahan noted McKeever had no similar previous convictions, had never before served a custodial sentence and that the offence marked a “serious escalation” in his criminal behaviour.
The judge also highlighted that the firearm had been loaded and fully functional, reports RTE.
“By any measure, this is serious offending”, the judge said, adding that although McKeever and his family had endured extremely difficult circumstances, “the law cannot be taken into one’s own hands”, reports RTE.
Judge Sheahan said the offence clearly passed the custodial threshold and imposed a sentence of four years and six months, suspending the final six months under strict conditions.
She also directed that McKeever receive credit for any time already spent in custody in relation to this matter alone, reports RTE.
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