Regency hotel injured man a ‘significant figure’ in the Kinahan gang
Claim heard in trial of 40-yr-old accused of facilitating gangland murder
A MAN injured in the Regency Hotel attack was named in court yesterday as a boss in the Kinahan gang.
Det Supt David Gallagher was testifying in the trial of Michael Crotty, who is accused of facilitating the murder of innocent Noel Kirwan in 2016 by buying a phone top-up for Sean Mcgovern.
Mcgovern was wounded in the gun attack at the Dublin hotel which left mob enforcer David Byrne dead.
Prosecutor Dominic Mcginn alleged Crotty bought the phone credit at a shop in Naas, Co Kildare, on December 21, 2016 on behalf of Mcgovern.
Counsel said he will call evidence to show he made the purchase knowing it would be used, or being reckless as to whether it would be used, in the commission of a serious crime.
Crotty, 40, of Sli Aonghusa, Cashel, Co Tipperary denies the single charge.
Following the Regency attack in March 2016, Det Supt Gallagher was investigating the Kinahan and Hutch gangs who were involved in a “murderous feud” from 2015 to 2018.
Since 2015, he told the court he has been personally involved in investigating those in leadership roles within those
SHOT DEAD groups and members or associates and others who enhanced their criminal activities.
Det Supt Gallagher agreed Mcgovern is connected to the Kinahans and added: “He is a significant figure in a leadership role and is currently based in Dubai.”
Under cross-examination, the witness agreed with defence counsel Padraig Dwyer that prior to the probe into Mr Kirwan’s murder, Crotty was not on his “radar” and was “not a name that had cropped up” during his investigations into organised crime.
He told the court as a result of operations in which he was involved, 33 people had been arrested in situations where they were “going to be involved in violence and the murder of persons in the other criminal gangs”.
They were prosecuted for offences including conspiracy to murder, directing the Kinahan criminal organisation, drug trafficking, firearms offences and money laundering.
Det Supt Gallagher added: “All of this combined has given me a unique insight into the roles, activities and criminality of the organisation as a whole as well as individuals within that organisation.”
The detective said the core function of the Kinahan group is “driven by monetary gain with drug trafficking as the primary source of income”.
He added they are involved at an international level to import the drugs and in distribution at street level.
They enforce their control “by violence, using firearms and murder”.
The trial before Ms Justice Caroline Biggs, Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone continues.