Courts / Dublin / Report
'Local junkie' hired to kill couple having affair with man's wife is jailed
Summary
Alan Leech, 38, was jailed for two years for extortion after he was hired by Bryan Kennedy to murder a couple with whom Kennedy's wife was having an online affair. Leech demanded money from Kennedy and Kennedy's wife on three occasions in January 2020, threatening violence and claiming he had third‑party killers. Kennedy, who had already been sentenced to four and a half years for soliciting Leech, paid €8,000 but failed to pay an outstanding €2,000, prompting Leech to send more threatening messages. Leech never contracted any third parties and had no gang connections; he was described as a "local junkie" with a history of drug addiction and 43 prior convictions. The court noted Leech's remorse and reduced the headline sentence of three years to two years, citing mitigating factors. The case highlighted the threats and intimidation faced by Kennedy's wife, who reported ongoing fear and PTSD after the incidents. Alan Leech pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Local junkie' hired to kill couple having affair with man's wife is jailed. Charges or matters: demanding money with menaces on three occasions during January 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 6, 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 11 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2023-05-02 Publication
Why: She said she has recurring PTSD nightmares and that her disability has flared and deteriorated so badly because of stress that she is now in a wheelchair. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: demanding money with menaces on three occasions during January 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Last January Kennedy, of Mount Tallant Avenue, Harold's Cross, Dublin, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to four and a half years in prison for soliciting Leech to murder two women on a date between October 2019 and January 2020. Today Judge Orla Crowe jailed Leech for two years after she said this scheme led to him making repeated demands for money from the victim and his wife. "It was deliberate and there were repeated demands that were nasty in nature.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Central Criminal Court
- Hazelbrook Square
- Churchtown
- Dublin
- Mount Tallant Avenue
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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