A 34-YEAR-OLD man who has admitted bringing a “realistic imitation firearm” into Northern Ireland only stopped at a police checkpoint to ask for directions to a Lisnaskea supermarket, Fermanagh Magistrates Court has heard.

Lorenc Dashi, an Albanian national with an address in Cavan, was charged with not having a driving licence, using a motor vehicle without insurance at Dublin Road, Enniskillen and bringing into this jurisdiction a realistic imitation firearm, a suspected gas powered handgun, on March 3, 2017.

Dashi entered guilty pleas to the three offences when he appeared before Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday, via videolink from Maghaberry prison.

The 34 year old has been serving time on remand in custody since his arrest on March 3.

The court heard that, at 2.20pm on March 3, police conducting a checkpoint in the Enniskillen area observed a black jeep approaching, with three males inside.

Dashi, who was driving, stopped the vehicle at the checkpoint and asked the officers for directions to the Lidl supermarket in Lisnaskea.

Believing that they could detect the smell of cannabis coming from inside the jeep, police informed the three men that a search would be conducted of the vehicle.

A black suspected handgun was uncovered from a small compartment under the floor in the rear of the jeep, the court heard.

The defendant was arrested and conveyed into custody.

During interview, he told officers that he had a valid Greek driving licence and trader’s insurance, although he was unable to produce either document.

Dashi denied any knowledge of the firearm, insisting that he had never seen it prior to the interview.

The defendant claimed to have bought the car five days prior to the incident.

He alleged that he had met the other two individuals in a coffee shop in Cavan earlier that day and had invited them to go along for the drive.

Defending counsel, Ciaran Roddy, told the court that the fact that his client had approached the police and asked them for directions painted a different picture of the offence.

The barrister said he had been given “no clear instructions” regarding how the item came to be in the car.

He said that Dashi intended to return to Albania, where his wife and family still lived, once he was released from custody.

In mitigation, Mr. Roddy said that the defendant had no previous criminal record and this was the first time he had come to police attention.

He added that Dashi had been working as a chef in the Republic of Ireland and, prior to that, had worked in various countries across the EU.

District judge, Ken Nixon, observed that the defendant had already served the equivalent of a prison sentence in excess of six months.

Giving credit for the guilty pleas, the judge imposed a six-month jail term and also disqualified him from driving for a total of one year.