Kinahan cartel gangster is due in court on firearms rap today

KINAHAN cartel mobster Liam Byrne will be given his first opportunity to enter a plea in a major firearms case today.

The Dubliner, 42, is set to appear before a sitting of the Crown Court at London’s Old Bailey this morning, where it’s understood he will have his first opportunity to enter a plea in relation to 13 offences he is facing – including possession of firearms.

Cartel criminal Byrne, left, who was extradited to the UK from Spain before Christmas, is understood to have been housed in a

top security prison and will be transferred via prison van into the court this morning. There, he will be formally given the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty over 12 firearms related charges and a further charge of perverting the course of justice.

In total Byrne is facing three charges of conspiring to possess a firearm without a certificate, three charges of conspiring to possess ammunition for a firearm without a certificate and two charges of conspiracy to possess a prohibited automatic weapon.

He faces three charges of conspiracy to sell or transfer prohibited weapons, conspiracy to possess a prohibited weapon and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. If convicted, Byrne faces up to five years in prison for each of the firearms possession charges alone. He would also face up to 10 years for conspiring to possess an automatic weapon – while charges of conspiring to sell or transfer weapons also carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Should he plead not guilty, a date for a full trial is likely to be the next step.