A former police officer has been given an 11-year sentence and will serve half of it behind bars and the remainder on licence after pleading guilty to buying a gun on the dark web.
Allen Kennedy (31), with an address at Strandtown PSNI Station, had admitted possession of a firearm and ammunition, namely a 9mm handgun, silencer and 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition; drugs related charges and perverting the course of justice.
He was sentenced today at Downpatrick Crown Court.
At a previous hearing a prosecution barrister had told the court that Kennedy had used the dark web to try and buy a gun from two undercover police officers.
The court was told Kennedy had made contact with a man on the dark web called 'Ally' who he believed could provide him with a firearm "but who was in fact an undercover police operative''.
Kennedy later met one of the undercover officers at Annadale Embankment to buy the firearm in September 2016.
Seconds after handing over the money, he was surrounded by armed officers and arrested, the court heard.
During follow-up searches, police seized cocaine, cannabais and other drugs with a street value of £10,000, both from his car and his parents' home.
They also found a total of 50 x 9 mm "dumb dumb'' cartridges - more normally used in "big game hunting''.
Kennedy claimed at police interview that he tried to buy the gun as he was going to die by suicide.
Speaking after Kennedy was sentenced PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Michael Harvey of the Cyber Crime Centre said even with the perceived anonymity of the dark web the police "will continue to pursue criminals in whatever quarter they operate to keep people safe".
