Offaly shopkeeper in 'realistic firearms' case must pay €10,000 to Tidy Towns

'Airsoft' guns for sale sparked prosecution of Pakistani-born Edenderry businessman at Tullamore Circuit Court

Published 20th Jun 2026, 15:00 BST Man went on trial at Tullamore Circuit Court | Tribune Pictures 'Airsoft' guns for sale sparked prosecution of Pakistani-born Edenderry businessman at Tullamore Circuit Court Sign up to our Offaly Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Offaly Live within your account.

AN Edenderry shopkeeper convicted of illegally having realistic imitation firearms in his store has been ordered to make a €10,000 donation to the local Tidy Towns committee.

If Ali Raza (29), Boyne Meadows, Edenderry, pays the money to Edenderry Tidy Towns the Probation Act will be applied in his case, Judge Keenan Johnson ruled.

At Tullamore Circuit Court , Judge Johnson adjourned finalisation of the sentencing of Mr Raza to July 7 next in Portlaoise Circuit Court.

The man had been found guilty after a trial in Tullamore of possessing what a garda detective said were firearms resembling semi-automatic pistols at his store, Fone Geek, 28 JKL Street, Edenderry on November 13, 2024.

READ NEXT: Jury finds Offaly shopkeeper guilty of firearms offence

Detective Sergeant Colm Coffey told the trial he saw eight realistic imitation firearms in a glass case when he entered the store to conduct a search.

They struck him as being “very realistic” and he told Mr Raza he was seizing them.

The boxes containing the “airsoft” guns were produced in court and examples were handed to the jurors for examination.

Mr Raza had denied a charge of having possession of the realistic imitation firearms without lawful authority or a reasonable excuse contrary to Section 9(a) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act (1990).

Defence counsel for Mr Raza, David Nugent , BL, told the trial his client's reasonable excuse for possessing the airguns was that he had bought them from a legitimate wholesaler in Dublin and had them legitimately for sale in his own shop with a view to making a profit.

A jury of seven women and five men found the Pakistani-born man guilty after less than an hour of deliberations.

READ ALSO: Air guns seized by gardai in Offaly shop 'resembled semi-automatic pistols'

Related topics: Tidy Towns Offaly Tullamore Circuit Court David Nugent Sign up to our Offaly Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Offaly Live within your account.