FLASHY..BANG..WALLOPED

Criminal who 'thought he was above the law' is jailed for having possession of gun at a party | Gucci Gang was affiliated to Kinahan Organised Crime Group

- NICOLA DONNELLY and EOIN REYNOLDS

A CRIMINAL known as 'Mr Flashy' "thought he was above the law" and " inflicted significant harm on families" - a top garda stated as Glen Ward was jailed for firing a semi-automatic rifle from a house.

Ward, a criminal referred to as 'Mr Flashy' and leader of the 'Gucci Gang' during a recent High Court case, fired the rifle from the back door of a Finglas home during a house party.

The 32-year-old previously pleaded guilty to the charge that on January 1, 2022 at an address in Finglas he possessed or had control of a .223 calibre Remington AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in circumstances giving rise to a reasonable inference that he did not have it for a lawful purpose.

His brother Eric O'Driscoll, 23, earlier pleaded guilty to possession of the same gun and was jailed for five years at the Special Criminal Court earlier in April.

Yeterday, Ward was jailed for five years and six months.

Afterwards, Detective Superintendent Paul Murphy praised the commitment of detectives at Finglas Garda Station for their investigation into Ward and his brother O'Driscoll which ensured the convictions and sentences imposed by the Special Criminal Court on the pair.

The senior officer said: "Criminals, like Eric O'Driscoll and Glen Ward, act and believe that they are above the law, inflicting significant harm and tragedy on harm and tragedy on families in the community in which they live but also operate their criminality from." He said his message to young people was that there was nothing positive that these criminals can offer them.