‘Mr Nobody’ pleads guilty to possessing 15 guns found in haul

THE senior Kinahan cartel figure nicknamed ‘Mr Nobody’ will be sentenced in March after he pleaded guilty to possessing 15 lethal firearms and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition.

Declan Brady (52), with an address at Celbridge, Co Kildare, gained his nickname after his arrest in relation to the massive seizure which happened at Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, in south county Dublin on January 24, 2017.

Prior to this, Brady had barely any convictions and was not generally known to gardai.

He was caught in the Rathcoole facility along with three other men who have already been jailed by the Special Criminal Court in relation to the huge firearms seizure.

Brady had indicated that he was going to contest the charges against him but yesterday before his trial was due to commence, he pleaded guilty to possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and more than 4,000 rounds of ammunition in suspicious circumstances.

It took the registrar of the Special Criminal Court several minutes to read the entirety of the two counts such was the itinerary of firearms and ammunition.

When asked how he pleaded to the counts, Brady replied “guilty” in both instances.

Weapon

He was remanded in custody to appear before the court on March 25 next for a sentence hearing.

Prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy SC noted that a “nolle prosequi” would be entered on remaining charges, which means the State will not be proceeding with these counts.

Last week, Kilkenny man Sean Ruth (29), with an address at, Rathangan, Co Kildare, was jailed for two and a half years for possession of a single revolver and ammunition which was not compatible with the weapon which was seized as part of the same garda operation.

Jonathan ‘Rocket Man’ Harding (45) of McNeill Court, Sallins, Co Kildare, and James Walsh (33), with an address at Neilstown Drive, Clondalkin, both previously pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court to the possession of nine revolvers, four pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and various ammunition magazines at the unit in Greenogue Business Park.

A senior source said last night that the unit in Greenogue was the “main distribution hub” for the Kinahan cartel.

Ut is suspected that at least three shipments of firearms, drugs and cash had been distributed there before the seizure by gardai in January 2017.