Keane has sentencing adjourned until January

"I wasn't going to kill anyone, I was going to see a bird."
The sentencing of a prominent Limerick gangland criminal who pleaded guilty to the possession of a loaded semi automatic pistol has been adjourned until January.

24 year old Liam Keane, of Singland, Ballysimon and 21-year-old Greg Crawford were arrested by Gardai assisted by the Emergency Response Unit in the Corbally area of the city last May after Gardai spotted the two men driving a stolen Mazda car. Following a very brief pursuit Gardai stopped the car and the pair were arrested and the pistol was discovered in the car, primed and loaded.

When charged Keane pleaded guilty to having a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol and 13 rounds of ammunition and being in possession of a stolen car. Mr Crawford also pleaded guilty to the possession of the firearm.

At their sentencing hearing yesterday Gardai told of how they believed the pistol found in the car which was stolen in Portmarnock, Dublin a month earlier, was used in an earlier shooting incident in April.

Keane however denied he was intent on using the gun on anybody insisting he was out that night to "see a bird".

Judge Carol Moran remanded both men in custody adjourned sentencing until January 20th.