Courts / Dublin / Report

Trusted friend who lured gangster to his death is jailed for 7 years

Summary

Anthony Casserly, aged 25, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment with the final two years suspended, after pleading guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder of gangster Wayne Whelan, 42, who was shot and left in a burning car on 18 November 2019. Casserly had lured Whelan to a pub under the pretense of watching a soccer match, using their friendship to lower Whelan's guard. The Central Criminal Court heard that Whelan had survived a previous shooting attempt in September 2019 and was cautious about his movements. Casserly's admission of guilt, lack of prior serious convictions and remorse were considered mitigating factors. The judge noted that Casserly's role was an aggravating factor because he used a trusted friendship to facilitate the murder. The sentence was back‑dated to 12 December 2019. The case also involved Christopher Moran, who pleaded guilty to being the getaway driver. The court did not consider any further appeals or subsequent proceedings.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Trusted friend who lured gangster to his death is jailed for 7 years. Charges or matters: impeding the apprehension of an offender; participating in or contributing to the murder. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 18, 2019 Other
• November 18 Other
• November 16 Incident
• December 12, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 25 Adjournment
• 18 November 2019 Incident
• January 13 Incident
• September 4, 2019 Incident
• November 13, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 17 Hearing Or Sentence
• November 19 Incident
• 2022-01-28 Publication

Why: Sentencing Casserly (25) today Mr Justice David Keane said the defendant had used his friendship to lower Whelan's guard in circumstances where an attempt on his life "would have been up" [unviable], because of a previous bid to murder him. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report