Courts / Dublin / Report

Getaway driver in 'cold-blooded assassination' of gangster Wayne Whelan is jailed

Summary

Christopher Moran, 52, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court for impeding the apprehension of an offender in connection with the 2019 murder of Wayne Whelan. Moran pleaded guilty to acting as a getaway driver, a charge proven by the court. Mr Justice David Keane described the killing as a "cold-blooded assassination" and noted that Moran's actions successfully impeded the prosecution of the shooter, as no one has yet been convicted of the murder. The judge set a headline sentence of eight years, reduced to six years due to Moran's guilty plea, cooperation with gardai, and lack of recent convictions. The final 18 months of the sentence were suspended for three years. The sentence was backdated to December 12, 2019. Moran's co-accused, Anthony Casserly, 25, previously pleaded guilty to participating in or contributing to the murder. Last January, Casserly was sentenced to nine years in prison with the final two years suspended. Both defendants had initially pleaded not guilty to murder before the jury was discharged and lesser pleas were accepted by the DPP.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Getaway driver in 'cold-blooded assassination' of gangster Wayne Whelan is jailed. Charges or matters: impeding the apprehension of an offender; participating in or contributing to the murder. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• November 18, 2019 Incident
• November 18 Other
• December 12, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
• 18 November 2019 Incident
• 2022-04-28 Publication

Why: Furthermore, the judge said he would also suspend the final 18 months of the six year sentence due to an absence of any convictions from 2013 until now and because of Moran's positive engagement with prison services. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report