A senior member of the Kinahan cartel’s Irish operation has pleaded guilty in London to his role in a conspiracy to source a cache of firearms to aid Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh, the Kinahans’ key figure in Britain. Kavanagh planned use the firearms as leverage with the British authorities to have a drugs trafficking prison sentenced reduced.
Peter ‘Peadar’ Keating (43), formerly of Rowlagh Green, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, on Wednesday at the Old Bailey admitted two charges of conspiracy to possess a firearm and two offences of plotting to possess ammunition in the UK. He also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Keating entered his pleas by video link from Belmarsh Prison in south London but is expected to be sent back to the Republic of Ireland where he is already serving a sentence for directing a criminal organisation.
He will be sentenced for the UK guns conspiracy by Judge Philip Katz KC at the Old Bailey on Thursday. Jack Kavanagh (24), from Tamworth, also pleaded guilty to the weapons and ammunition offences after being extradited from Spain and he is also due to be sentenced on Thursday.
High levels of air pollutants that can cause respiratory, heart and brain issues found in Dublin hotspots
Leo Varadkar is right: basic maths should not flummox a minister or any of us
Dublin hotel bar manager accused of ‘defrauding customers’ by adding 10% service charge to bills
Soc Dems suspend Eoin Hayes for giving incorrect information about sale of shares from firm linked to Israeli military
Keating was jailed for 11 years by the Special Criminal Court in Dublin in September 2021 for directing the attempted assassination of rival Hutch gang member James ‘Mago’ Gately.
During that case in Dublin three years ago, he pleaded guilty to directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7th, 2016, and April 6th, 2017, within and outside the State. This involved the “ongoing targeting” of Gately in the context of a feud between the Hutch and Kinahan crime groups.
The initial warrant in the UK case accused Keating of “organised criminal activity” in allegedly “procuring firearms and ammunition” and of a “leading role in the sourcing of firearms and ammunition”.
“Keating was instrumental in carrying out directions for [Thomas] Kavanagh and in arranging with third parties for firearms and ammunition to be procured from the UK and abroad to reduce Kavanagh’s sentence,” the warrant alleged.
Thomas Kavanagh (57) had hoped that by leading the National Crime Agency (NCA) to a buried stash of 11 “fearsome” weapons, he could influence his sentencing in a multi-million pound drug smuggling case after he was jailed for 21 years last year for importing the Kinahans’ drugs into Britain.
Running the conspiracy from prison, Thomas Kavanagh also enlisted the help of Keating, his brother-in-law, 44-year-old Liam Byrne, and associate Shaun Kent (38), and his own son, Jack Kavanagh. In May 2021, Thomas Kavanagh provided information to the NCA which led them to a field in Newry, Northern Ireland, where two hold-alls were unearthed.
They contained seven machine guns, three automatic handguns, an assault rifle and ammunition.
The plot was foiled after the NCA uncovered incriminating messages on the encrypted EncroChat communications system which had been cracked by their French counterparts. The messages revealed the men had deliberately sourced the guns and moved them into position in a ruse to convince the NCA that Kavanagh was supplying them with information and should have his sentence reduced in exchange.
Thomas Kavanagh and Liam Byrne, the former head of the Kinahans’ Irish operation, were sentenced in October to six and five years respectively at the Old Bailey for their roles in the gun trafficking conspiracy. - additional reporting PA
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
