Category: Organised Crime

130 – Drugs, Death and Butchery: The Deaths of Vincent Costello, Morgan Costello and Damien Monahan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Drug-related, Insanity Defence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime

In the early hours of 29th April, 2000, a fire was discovered in an upmarket flat in the seaside resort of Scheveningen, The Hague. Three occupants were found dead in the bathtub – young Irishmen Damien Monahan and Vincent and Morgan Costello.

Was the fire an accident, some sort of gangland hit, or something else altogether?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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129 – A Battle for Justice: The murder of Brian Fitzgerald

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Drug-related, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder for profit, Organised Crime, unsolved

In the early hours of 29th November, 2002, 34 year old father of two arrived home from working his shift as the security manager at a popular nightclub in Limerick City.

He was shot to death in his driveway in a suspected gangland killing.

Would gardai be able to find enough evidence to bring members of one of Limerick’s most notorious gangs before a court?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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126 – Sex, Lies and Videotape: the murder of Gerry McGinley

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Black Widow, Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In August of 2000, Gerry McGinley disappeared from his home near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. His wife Julie said he had packed up a plastic bag and had taken off.

The police investigation came up with numerous leads. Had Gerry fallen foul of the Real IRA? Or maybe he’d crossed drug dealers? Was his former lover – or indeed her husband – enraged enough to make him run, or worse? It also seemed likely Gerry had been blackmailing local men with videos they’d rather not exist…

Or perhaps the answer was much closer to home, and to be found in the newly re-decorated master bedroom of the McGinley’s bungalow…

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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121 – For Reasons Unknown: The murder of Kenneth O’Brien

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, Self Defence

In January of 2016, people started to find body parts wrapped in shopping bags on a stretch of the Grand Canal in Co. Kildare. To gardai, this looked like a gangland hit. But when the remains were identified as 33 year old Kenneth O’Brien, it was quickly determined that he was not known to be involved in anything illegal.

Why was Kenneth O’Brien killed?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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105 – Vendetta: The murder of Tracy Butler

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In July of 1993, 17 year old Tracy Butler was set upon and stabbed to death while walking home in what appeared to be a random act of violence. But as gardai began investigating the case, they began unravelling a complicated web of relationships – ones which had turned sour.

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93 – Never Forget: The murder of Marioara Rostas

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Child Victim, Cold Case, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, murder, Organised Crime, sex crimes, unsolved

In January 2008, 18 year old Marioara got into a car on Lombard Street in Dublin City centre, where she and some of her family had been begging for change. She was never seen again. During the garda investigation it became clear that this was an unusual crime – a seemingly random act of violence, likely committed by a member of one of Dublin’s criminal gangs.

After 6 years, a man went on trial. But would there be justice for Marioara?

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89 – The Ordeal: Jennifer Guinness

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Drug-related, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Organised Crime

In April of 1986, three armed men burst into a lavish home in Howth. When they left, they brought with them Jennifer Guinness, mother of three and wife of the head of a merchant bank. A ransom was demanded for her return.

Despite the quick mobilisation of gardai all over Dublin, Jennifer’s captor would evade capture for over a week.

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79 – Savage: The murder of James Healy

On By Hugh DevineIn Child Victim, Drug-related, Insanity Defence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime

In February of 1996, 16 year old James Healy was found brutally beaten in a field near his home in Tralee. It wouldn’t be long before gardai zeroed in on their prime suspect – a 25 year old man diagnosed with anti social personality disorder.

In fact, police feared that he would one day murder.

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69 – The Emergency: The IRA, spies & the murder of Micheal Devereux

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Capital Punishment, Controversial Case, Human Rights, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Landmark Case, Life Sentence, murder, Organised Crime, terrorism, Vintage murder

In 1940, 24 year old Michael Devereux disappeared from his home in Co Wexford. A year later, his body would be discovered buried in an isolated part of Co Tipperary. A number of men who were known members of the IRA found themselves accused of the murder – allegedly motivated by the belief that Devereux had been a spy among their ranks.

A four month legal battle ensued, which saw the use of the Emergency Powers Act passed to deal with “The Emergency” of the ongoing war in Europe used to circumvent due process and normal court procedures in order to hold the men accountable.

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64 – Hostage at Derrada Woods: The story of Don Tidey

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Human Rights, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Kidnapping, Landmark Case, Organised Crime, terrorism, torture, unsolved

In the early 1980s, there was a series of kidnap-for-ransom crimes committed in the Republic by the Provisional IRA in order to raise funds to finance their organisation and its terrorist operations here and in the UK.

One of the victims of these abductions was prominent businessman, Don Tidey, and Englishman who was the senior executive of the Quinnsworth group of supermarkets. Tidey was held for 23 days in Derrada wood, Co Leitrim. He as rescued by the gardai and the army, but a garda probationer and an army private were killed during the operation.

Though a number of people were charged in relation to the kidnap, no one has ever been charged in relation to the two killings.

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