Courts / Limerick / Report

Christy Keane's sister jailed for stashing €124k in attic

Summary

Sandra Hehir (56), sister of convicted drug dealer Christy Keane, was sentenced at the Special Criminal Court to three years and six months in prison for money laundering. The final year of the sentence was suspended for two years, conditional on good behaviour. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath found that Hehir knew the €124,055 found in her attic and funds in her bank accounts were proceeds of crime. Although she had no direct involvement in the Keane group's criminality, the judge stated she was not a passive participant in laundering. Hehir pleaded guilty in October last year to handling, acquiring, and possessing the cash, knowing it was the proceeds of criminal conduct, under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010. In mitigation, the court noted her early guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, and good employment record as a hairdresser. The judge acknowledged her likely difficulty adjusting to prison at age 56 and a probation report indicating low reoffending risk. The case stemmed from a 2020 anti-money laundering operation targeting the Keane Organised Crime Group. During the search of her Limerick City home, €124,055 in 13 bundles was found in the attic. The court also heard that Warren Hehir (33), Christy Keane's nephew, was sentenced in July last year to five years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended, for laundering €59,000 through house renovation works.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Christy Keane's sister jailed for stashing €124k in attic. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• June 2020 Incident
• June 17, 2020 Incident
• 2024-02-26 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Fraud Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report