A MAN linked to the Kinahan mob who was caught with a loaded handgun has been jailed for six years.
The Special Criminal Court heard Ryan Kelly, 25, was seen handing the shooter to a cabbie before being nabbed by cops.
Ryan Kelly has been jailed for six years
Kelly, of Captain’s Road, Crumlin, Dublin was caught in a car with other men who were wearing rubber gloves and carrying burner phones.
Mr Justice Paul Burns said Kelly was acting in concert with others and had a central role in the plan, although the court did not have evidence of what this plan may have been.
Passing sentence at the Special Criminal Court today, Mr Justice Burns remarked Kelly, who was 22 at the time, had been involved in a sophisticated enterprise with other people, involving a loaded revolver and stolen cars.
Kelly pleaded guilty to possessing a .38 special calibre Smith & Wesson revolver at Captain’s Road on November 23, 2021.
He also pleaded guilty to having in his possession five rounds of .38 special calibre ammo.
Outlining the background to the case, Mr Justice Burns said that a garda surveillance operation was carried out on Kelly and others at Captain's Road.
A co-accused, Anthony Walker, drove a taxi to Captain’s Road on November 23 and four people exited the vehicle, including the accused.
Walker, who has pleaded guilty to possessing a .38 special calibre Smith & Wesson revolver at Tallaght Road, Templeogue, Dublin 6W, also on November 23, 2021, was seen handing something to Kelly before he drove away, and Kelly was seen hiding something in a hedge, which he later retrieved and brought into his home.
Walker later returned in the taxi, and Kelly was seen dropping something into the driver's side window before Walker drove off.
Mr Justice Burns said that what was dropped into the car was the revolver.
Walker was later stopped by gardai and the loaded revolver was found in the footwell of the vehicle, with Kelly’s DNA on the weapon.
Kelly was later stopped as a passenger in a Volvo car along with three other people.
Mr Justice Burns said that all four were in possession of burner phones. One of the four burner phones had been used by Kelly to communicate with Walker, while boxes for burner phones were found in Kelly’s home.
'Ongoing feud'
The court heard that Kelly has nine previous convictions, which mostly include public order offences and road traffic matters.
A source said: “Kelly is well known in Crumlin but also has strong links to Tallaght. He has connections to members of the Kinahan Cartel, but this incident was part of the ongoing feud in Tallaght.”
Kelly’s defence counsel had told the court he was “deeply ashamed” of his actions.
Central role
Mr Justice Burns said Kelly had clearly been acting in concert with others and had a central role in the plan, “whatever that was”.
He noted that the plan involved a number of stolen motor vehicles and some of the people in the Volvo had been wearing rubber gloves and snoods, which the judge noted can be used to pull up to conceal the face.
He set the headline sentence at ten years but reduced this to seven on each count to run concurrently, with the last year suspended for three years on condition Kelly engages with the probation services.
GOON!!
