(Pictured: Mr Sean Guerin SC. Photo: Collins)

Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney was subjected to an “ordeal of callous brutality and gratuitous violence” designed to terrify and intimidate him and to leave him with injuries he would never forget, a barrister has told the Special Criminal Court.

Sean Guerin SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, began his closing speech to the three-judge, non-jury court this morning.

He said the evidence heard over eight weeks had shown “intricate and detailed connections” between the four accused and Cyril McGuinness, now deceased and alleged by the prosecution to have organised the offences against ….read more

(Pictured: Deirdre Brady. Photo: Collins)

Senior Kinahan Cartel lieutenant Declan Brady has been jailed for laundering cash from a criminal organisation while his wife and former “mistress” have received fully suspended sentences at the Special Criminal Court.

The trio appeared in court this morning, with Declan Brady in the dock as he is already serving a sentence for firearms offences. His wife Deirdre Brady hugged family members after receiving a three-year suspended sentence for her role in laundering €770,499.

Erika Lukacs (37) also received a fully suspended three-year sentence for laundering €196,864.

The court previously heard that Brady and his wife laundered crime cash ….read more

(Pictured: Ms Lisa Smith. Photo: Collins)

The Special Criminal Court has asked lawyers to tell the court “where we’re at” in preparations for the trial of former Irish Defence Forces member Lisa Smith, who is charged with membership of the Islamic State terrorist group and with financing terrorism.

The case was mentioned today at the three-judge, non-jury court but lawyers indicated they had no update for the court. Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, said, “we want to know where we’re at” and put the case in for mention again in November.

Ms Smith (39), from Dundalk, Co Louth is due to go on ….read more

New charges will be brought in October against two men who are currently charged with attempting to murder a man who has since died, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Robert Redmond (32), of Woodview Close, Donaghmede, Dublin 13, and Bernard Fogarty (33), with an address at Cromcastle Court, Kilmore, Coolock, Dublin 5, are both charged with the attempted murder of Barry Wolverson at Madigans Yard, Kileek Lane, Swords, Co Dublin, on January 17, 2020.

Mr Wolverson died on February 21 following a lengthy period in hospital.

Anne Marie Lawlor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), today asked the court ….read more

A father-of-four who told gardai that €1,200 in cash had come from up his “Swiss roll” has pleaded guilty to laundering €3,415 and to possession of cocaine, cannabis and a high-end watch at a south Dublin hotel.

Graham Whelan (38), with an address at Walkinstown Avenue, Walkinstown, Dublin 12 was arraigned at the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court this morning.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering contrary to section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act on January 31, 2019 at the Intercontinental Hotel in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.

The first count related to a sum of €1,275 in cash ….read more

A man has pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to possessing or handling more than €100,000 following an ATM theft two years ago.

Niall Finnegan (39) of Cherry Grove, Cullyhanna, Co Armagh was arraigned at the three-judge, non-jury court this morning.

He pleaded guilty to one count of committing a serious offence to wit possession of stolen cash for the benefit of, or at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organisation at The Yard, Tullypole, Moynalty, Co Meath on 20 August, 2019.

Fiona Murphy SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt ….read more

The presiding judge in the trial of four men accused of abducting and torturing Kevin Lunney has asked a defence lawyer if he is suggesting that gardai engaged in “hanky panky” by planting the businessman’s DNA in a van.

Lawyers for two of the accused men said that gardai seized the Renault Kangoo and kept it in a forensic examination facility in Santry in Dublin that could be accessed by multiple gardai, yet no record was kept of who came and went.

They said Dr Edward Connolly, of Forensic Science Ireland, found an area of red and brown suspected blood ….read more

A van allegedly used in the abduction and assault of businessman Kevin Lunney was left unlocked on a Dublin street where a member of the National Surveillance Unit (NSU) entered it to plant a device, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

Two members of the NSU gave evidence today after the court made orders that their identities or any description of them should not be published.

Detective Superintendent Ciaran Hoey told the court that their identities needed to be protected out of concern for the lives and wellbeing of the officers and to safeguard future undercover garda operations.

Mr Justice Hunt ordered ….read more

(Pictured: Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt. Photo: Collins)

The Special Criminal Court has rejected an application by defence lawyers to adjourn the trial of four men accused of abducting and torturing Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney.

Michael O’Higgins SC, for the accused man known as YZ, had argued before the three-judge, non-jury court that the law on mass retention of mobile phone data is unclear.

Mr O’Higgins has previously argued before the court that the use of phone data relating to the location and activities of mobile phones is a breach of EU law. The court ruled against him in ….read more

Peter Keating, who pleaded guilty to directing the activities of the Kinahan crime cartel in their failed attempt to murder Hutch gang member James ‘Mago’ Gately, was himself receiving directions from others, the Special Criminal Court heard today.

Detective Sergeant David Carolan told a sentence hearing today that following the Regency attack in which Kinahan gang member David Byrne was shot dead, Gately was “one of a number of members of the Hutch organisation who were targeted by the rival gang known as the Kinahan crime organisation.”

The detective said an Estonian man named Imre Arakas was brought to Ireland on April ….read more