Michael Crotty pleads not guilty to facilitating Noel Kirwan murder

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Michael Crotty has pleaded not guilty to participating in the activities of an organised crime gang that facilitated Noel Kirwan’s murder. His trial was under way at the Special Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 17 January 2024.

Kirwan was shot at his home in Clondalkin on 22 December 2016. The prosecution alleges Crotty topped up credit on a phone used in the murder on 21 December 2016, knowing or being reckless that it would be used in a serious crime.

Crotty has denied helping an organised crime group facilitate the murder. His defence counsel said he engaged extensively with gardaí, while the prosecution said the judges would be entitled to draw inferences from his silence on the key issue.

The court heard that Crotty had no previous convictions.