Suspended sentence for man who brandished suspected firearm in Derry city centre

John Brendan Meehan (29) of Northland Road in Derry admitted a charge of carrying a firearm in a public place on February 23 this year.

He was sentenced at Derry Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning.

After Meehan had pleaded guilty sentence was deferred for six months to see if he could stay out of trouble, the court was told.

An earlier court had heard that police officers were called to a report of a man brandishing a firearm or an imitation firearm in John Street.

The defendant could be seen by members of the public and at one stage pointed the gun across the road, the court heard.

He was located by police and a BB gun was found on him.

He told police officers he had bought it and that he was 'messing around' with the gun.

He said he did not intend anyone to feel threatened or intimidated and in hindsight it was 'a bad idea.'

Defence counsel Sinead Rogan told the court that her client had health issues and attends hospital for treatment.

She said that he had co-operated with the relevant authorities.

District Judge Barney McElholm said that the defendant had been 'open and honest' in the compilation of a pre-sentence report.

He described the offence as 'a foolish escapade' and imposed a sentence of two months in prison suspended 12 months.