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Criminal allegedly extorted thousands per week from builders in protection racket

Summary

In a High Court hearing on 8 October 2019, Justice Carmel Stewart ruled that more than €250,000 in four bank accounts linked to Derek O'Driscoll were proceeds of crime and ordered the State to keep the money. The Criminal Assets Bureau seized the accounts in December 2018. Benedict O'Floinn SC, acting for the State, presented evidence that O'Driscoll and his associate David Reilly were involved in drug dealing and extortion, and that they had acted as "enforcers" for protection services at construction sites in Ballyfermot and the wider Dublin area. Building firms, including those contracted by Dublin City Council and Co‑Operative Housing Ireland, had paid €1,500 and €1,200 per week to the pair to stop anti‑social behaviour. O'Driscoll and Reilly denied criminal involvement; their counsel claimed the money was for "fence maintenance".

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Criminal allegedly extorted thousands per week from builders in protection racket. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision

When:

• December 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2019-10-08 Publication

Why: She added: "They had no choice but to pay this money in order to acquire protection, safety and security to continue the legitimate work they had been contracted to do. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Hearing Or Decision

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Read the original CNI report