New twist to Quinn saga with ‘garda plant’ claim
Brother of criminal ‘Dublin Jimmy’ makes shocking allegation to court
A BROTHER of the notorious deceased criminal known as ‘Dublin Jimmy’ has claimed a garda threatened to plant cocaine on his premises.
Fran McGuinness made the shocking allegation in a legal action in which he is seeking injunctions restraining gardaí from “watching” him.
He is a brother of Cyril McGuinness, the criminal nicknamed ‘Dublin Jimmy’, who died last November aged 54 while being investigated for allegedly masterminding the kidnap and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney.
Mr McGuinness alleges he had been targeted because of his brother and that his movements were followed by gardaí.
Prior to his brother’s death, he told the Irish Independent they were estranged and had no dealings with each other.
The articulated truck and car trader denies any involvement in criminality.
A BROTHER of the notorious deceased criminal known as ‘Dublin Jimmy’ has claimed a garda threatened to plant cocaine on his premises.
Fran McGuinness made the shocking allegation in a legal action in which he is seeking injunctions restraining gardaí from “watching” him.
The articulated truck and car trader, who has a business premises near Swords, Co Dublin, has been the subject of Garda attention for several years, but denies being involved in criminality.
He is a brother of Cyril McGuinness, the criminal nicknamed ‘Dublin Jimmy’, who died last November aged 54 while being investigated for allegedly masterminding the kidnap and torture of Quinn Industrial Holdings executive Kevin Lunney.
Mr McGuinness alleges he has been targeted because of his brother and had his movements followed by gardaí.
Prior to his brother’s death, he told the Irish Independent they were estranged and had no dealings with each other.
In the High Court yesterday, Mr Justice David Keane granted liberty for short service of the proceedings on the Garda Commissioner following an ex parte, or one side only, application. Mr McGuinness (59) was represented in court by barrister Alan Toal and solicitor John Geary.
In an affidavit, he alleged a garda came to his premises last November but was asked to leave. “As we walked to the gate he made a comment which even to me sent a chill down my spine to the effect that there was plenty of room on my premises upon which to plant cocaine,” he said.
Mr McGuinness said he was “gravely concerned” about the comment as he was regularly away on business, which could afford someone the opportunity to do what the garda allegedly suggested.
He claimed gardaí had unlawfully entered his premises on a number of occasions and used “heavy-handed tactics and language”.
Several reliefs are sought by him, including a temporary injunction preventing gardaí from “watching” or “besetting” him.
He also wants injunctions stopping gardaí from blocking the entrance to his business with marked or unmarked cars, from driving into his premises unless they have a search warrant, and from “harassing” his customers.
Mr McGuinness said his solicitor had written to the Garda Commissioner, but had not received a substantive reply. He said he was not going to waste his time making a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman and required the protection of the court.
His affidavit made reference to another incident in March where he alleged a detective came to his premises and sought the names and addresses of two people who were present and their reasons for being there. He alleged when he asked the detective to leave, the garda replied: “We will fix you, you d ****** d, We’ll be back with a warrant.”
The affidavit goes on to detail a search of the premises later that month by 19 gardaí acting on a search warrant.
He said it would have required four gardaí at most to search the premises.
The affidavit said a 1990 Mercedes owned by a neighbour who sometimes stores cars at the premises was seized, with gardaí advising it had been stolen 16 years ago.
Mr McGuinness claimed that at no time was he asked to explain the presence of the car, which was awaiting collection to be dismantled.
The Commissioner is expected to contest the claims.
Mr McGuinness has taken a number of legal actions against the force in recent years. In 2017, a judge ordered the return of a BMW which had been seized nine years earlier and the payment of €33,600 in special damages.
Although he has not been charged with any offence, the bank accounts of one of his businesses were frozen and the Criminal Assets Bureau made an assessment in relation to €270,000 in allegedly unpaid VAT, which he is seeking to have set aside.