Noel Price sentenced for attempted murder assistance

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

Noel Price was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment, with the final year suspended, at the Special Criminal Court on 27 July 2023 for assisting the McCarthy Dundon criminal organisation by making a vehicle available to facilitate the attempted murder of Christy Keane. Mr Justice Owens sentenced him while sitting with Judge Elma Sheahan and Judge Alan Mitchell. The proceedings were reported on 27 July 2023.

Price pleaded guilty to the section 72 Criminal Justice Act 2006 offence. The charge alleged that, knowing the organisation existed, he assisted in making a vehicle available with the intention of facilitating Keane’s attempted murder or while reckless as to that. The alleged offending occurred between 27 and 29 June 2015. The court heard that Keane was shot at the University of Limerick and survived.

The prosecution evidence was that Price provided a car, drove it to Limerick and delivered it to the organisation after the shooting. Under cross-examination, Detective Sergeant Padraig O'Dwyer agreed with defending counsel Michael F Collins SC that Price could be described as a gofer or foot soldier. Collins said the guilty plea acknowledged wrongdoing and that Price had addressed his drug addictions through prison drug programmes.