Image: RollingNews.ie Image: RollingNews.ie A GANG MEMBER involved in a foiled Kinahan Cartel plot to murder James ‘Mago’ Gately, during which he placed a tracker device on the rival Hutch member’s car, has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six-and-a-half years.
Gately had been warned by gardaí of a threat to his life from criminals who believed him to be involved in the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan Cartel associate David Byrne in February 2016. The specifics of the charge are that on dates between December 7, 2016, and April 6, 2017, inclusive, both within and outside the State and with knowledge of a criminal organisation and with the intent of enhancing the ability of the said criminal organisation or any of its members to commit a serious offence, namely the murder of James Gately, he did participate in or contribute to activities connected with the said offence.
At today’s sentencing hearing, Mr Justice Hunt noted one of the Blackberry devices revealed that ‘Oscar’ had also sent a message saying: “Have you still got the charging pad off that”. The next message said: “Ok, I need to grab that at some stage tomorrow”. Glynn has 16 previous convictions mostly for minor road offences. He has one conviction for possession of drugs for sale and supply.
Defence counsel Simon Matthews BL asked Mr Justice Hunt if his client could serve his sentence in Mountjoy Prison. “We can’t do anything about that but you can have a recommendation,” replied the judge.At last month’s sentence hearing, Detective Sergeant Jonathan O’Leary, of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, told Dominic McGinn SC, prosecuting, that the offence arose out of an “ongoing plan” to target Gately, which began in December 2016.
Having observed where Ararkas went, a search warrant was obtained for Blakestown Cottages on April 4, 2017 and gardai found Arakas and Fowler on the premises. A Blackberry device was found in Arakas’ possession and an open message thread referring to the planning of the murder of Gately was found. The message thread was wiped remotely after it was photographed on the Blackberry device.
On March 30 2017, Mr McGinn said three occupants – Glynn, Peter Keating and another man – travelled to Belfast in a blue Peugeot car.