Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who booked flights for hitman in Cartel's bid to murder 'Mago' Gately is jailed

Date
2021-07-30

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Dubliner David Duffy was sentenced to five years in prison by the Special Criminal Court for supplying logistical support in a Kinahan cartel plot to murder James 'Mago' Gately. Duffy, 33, pleaded guilty in April to participating in a criminal organisation's activities connected to the attempted murder between December 2016 and April 2017. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt noted Duffy booked flights for hitman Imre Arakas, sourced vehicles and tracker devices, and possessed SIM cards. Although the judge fixed an eight-year headline sentence, he discounted a quarter due to Duffy's early guilty plea and suspended the final year of the six-year term. Duffy was ordered to engage with probation services for that suspended year, be of good behaviour for three years, and enter a €100 bond. Separately, Peter Keating, 40, pleaded guilty earlier this week to directing the activities of a criminal organisation under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act for the same period. The court highlighted that Arakas was intercepted by gardaí before carrying out the contract. Gately survived a subsequent shooting in May 2017 while wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who booked flights for hitman in Cartel's bid to murder 'Mago' Gately is jailed. Charges or matters: directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016, and April 4, 2017, inclusive, within and without the State under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act; having knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation and participating in or contributing to activities connected with the said offence, namely the murder of James Gately, with the intention of enhancing the ability of the said criminal organisation or any of its members to commit the serious offence, within the State between December 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017, both dates inclusive; conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

December 7, 2016 Incident
April 6, 2017 Incident
April 3, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
December 2018 Incident
April 3 Incident
April 4, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
May 10, 2017 Other
2021-07-30 Publication

Case subjects

Dubliner David Duffy

Convicted Person

Charges: having knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation and participating in or contributing to activities connected with the said offence, namely the murder of James Gately, with the intention of enhancing the ability of the said criminal organisation or any of its members to commit the serious offence, within the State between December 7, 2016 and April 6, 2017, both dates inclusive; conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017; directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016, and April 4, 2017, inclusive, within and without the State under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Dubliner David Duffy is the latest man to be sentenced for his involvement in a bid by the cartel to murder James 'Mago' Gately and was today jailed by the three-judge court for supplying logistical support. Mr Justice Hunt then suspended the final year of a six-year sentence and ordered Duffy to engage with the probation services for that year upon his release.

Mago' Gately

Convicted Person

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Mago' Gately and was today jailed by the three-judge court for supplying logistical support. He was jailed for six years in December 2018, having pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3 and 4, 2017.

Peter Keating

Defendant

Charges: directing the activities of a criminal organisation between December 7, 2016, and April 4, 2017, inclusive, within and without the State under Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty