Courts / Limerick / Report

Court hears of 'Road to Damascus' experience for Limerick criminal who provided car for Christy Keane hit

Date
2024-02-26

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Limerick

Summary

A 45-year-old man from Limerick has been remanded for sentencing following his guilty plea to making a vehicle available to an organised crime gang for use as a getaway car in an attempted murder. Larry McCarthy pleaded guilty in October 2023 to an offence contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment. The incident occurred in June 2015 when two gunmen fired 13 rounds at Christy Keane as he sat in his vehicle at University of Limerick gym, causing four gunshot wounds. McCarthy assisted in positioning both a red Ford Focus and a white Volvo Estate used by the gunmen to escape. The Special Criminal Court heard evidence of the decades-long feud between the McCarthy-Dundon and Keane-Collopy criminal organisations. Defence counsel submitted that McCarthy has since relocated to Donegal, maintained employment and education engagement, and has not offended in nearly a decade. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs adjourned the case until 11 March for sentencing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Court hears of 'Road to Damascus' experience for Limerick criminal who provided car for Christy Keane hit. Charges or matters: made a vehicle available to a criminal organisation that was used as a getaway vehicle in the attempted murder of Christy Keane. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

June 29 Incident
June 27, 2015 Incident
March 11 Adjournment
June 29, 2015 Other
July 2005 Incident
2024-02-26 Publication

Case subjects

Larry McCarthy

Defendant

Charges: made a vehicle available to a criminal organisation that was used as a getaway vehicle in the attempted murder of Christy Keane (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: adjourned the matter until March 11 when sentence will be passed