Northern Ireland PPS Appeals Loyalist Winston Irvine’s Firearm Sentence

Winston Irvine, a 49-year-old loyalist from Belfast, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for firearms offences, with half of the sentence to be served in custody, after firearms and ammunition were found in his car. The judge cited "exceptional circumstances," including Irvine's extensive peace-building work and community charity efforts, which allowed him to avoid the statutory minimum five-year sentence. However, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has lodged an appeal, arguing that the sentence is unduly lenient and falls outside the range of reasonable judicial decisions despite consideration of all relevant factors. The PPS referral, supported by advice from independent Senior Counsel, has been submitted to the Court of Appeal to seek an extension of Irvine's sentence. There has been political criticism of the leniency of the sentence from both unionist and nationalist figures. The PPS also reviewed the sentence of Irvine's co-accused, Adam Robinson Workman, who received a five-year sentence, but found no legal basis to appeal his sentence.