Man jailed for holding up court with fake pistol and hoax bomb

A man who held up a judge, a barrister and his estranged wife with a fake pistol and a hoax pipe bomb in a Dublin court siege has been jailed for six years.

Sentencing Edmond Dunican (47)on Tuesday, Judge Patricia Ryan said it was a planned and premeditated offence which has had ongoing adverse effects on the victims.

During a court hearing in December 2018, Dunican told the court he had a “problem” with an opposing barrister, Lisa Daly, before he drew a “realistic” firearm from his briefcase and threatened her with it, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

At the time, Dunican was wearing an elaborate device around his neck that resembled a pipe bomb. The court heard Dunican, a fitter by trade, made the fake bomb at home.

The judge in the court room refused to leave when Dunican told her she could go. Instead, she repeatedly appealed to him to drop the gun and attempted to defuse the situation.

The 17-minute siege ended after an armed garda negotiator persuaded Dunican to surrender the gun and let the women go. The court building was evacuated and surrounded by armed gardaí during the incident, while an Army unit was called in to assess the device.

Criminal intent

Dunican, of Stadium Business Park, Ballycoolin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of carrying an imitation firearm with criminal intent in Dublin on December 20th, 2018.

It is an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. Dunican has no previous convictions.

Judge Ryan reduced a sentence of 11 years to eight years after noting a number of mitigating factors including Dunican’s remorse and his state of mind at the time. Fiona Murphy SC, defending, had told the court that Dunican felyt at the time this was his only course of action.

The judge backdated the sentence to the day of the offence, as Dunican has been in custody since. She suspended the final two years on condition that he be of good behaviour and have no contact whatsoever with the three victims.

Det Garda Shane Connolly previously told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that Ms Daly had had a number of dealings during court proceedings with Dunican, who was representing himself.

On the day in question, Ms Daly told the court it was her last day as a barrister as she was going to become a solicitor.

When Dunican’s matter was called before the court, he drew the imitation firearm and told Ms Daly: “Did I hear you say today is your last day? You have no idea Lisa, you have no idea.”

‘Put your weapon down’

As Ms Daly crouched in her chair, the judge repeatedly told Dunican to “put your weapon down sir, please”.

The court registrar pressed the panic alarm and gardaí­ were called to court over the tannoy system, while Dunican said: “It’s too late for the guards, judge.”

Dunican said the registrar and judicial assistant could leave the court and the judge too, telling her he did not mean her any harm, but the judge replied: “I’m not leaving”.

The judge continued to reason with Dunican until armed gardaí­entered the court and a negotiator persuaded him to surrender.

Ms Daly told gardaí­ it was a terrifying experience and she believed Dunican was going to shoot her in the head or detonate a bomb. Dunican’s wife said she was “petrified” and “frozen in fear” throughout the ordeal.

The court heard the bomb looked realistic and was fitted with a metal pipe and a functioning red and green light. The imitation firearm resembled a semi-automatic pistol.

Victim impact statements were handed into court from Ms Daly and Dunican’s wife, but the judge declined to make one.