Gangland criminal had cocaine in system at time of fatal motorcycle crash

Sunday World

2 days ago

The 38-year-old died in a crash on the main Sligo to Manorhamilton Road on June 29th 2023.
An inquest into the death of CAB target Ian McMorrow has heard that he had cocaine in system at the time of his death.
The 38-year-old died in a crash on the main Sligo to Manorhamilton Road on June 29th 2023.
He was travelling towards Sligo at the time with a friend, Darren Sommers who was on another motorbike.
The father of three was driving a Suzuki Motorcycle, which collided with a blue Ford Focus car travelling in the opposite direction at around 8.30pm.
A toxicology report found Mr McMorrow had cocaine in his system at a level of 0.084.
It was determined that the presence of the drug may have been a contributing factor in the crash.
Speed was also identified as an underlying cause of the collision.
Ian McMorrow
News in 90 June 4th
An inquest into his death was held by Coroner Fergal Kelly at Carrick on Shannon Courthouse last week.
The coroner returned a verdict that the cause of death was blunt force trauma following a road traffic accident.
He was pronounced dead at the scene at 8.48pm.
A deposition from the driver of the Ford Focus, Tara McGloin was read to the inquest.
In it, she said she was driving home after dropping her father and younger sister to collect a car from a mechanic.
She said she was pulling out onto the N16 and she looked left and right, and left and right again before she pulled out on to the main road.
She said she was certain nothing was coming and pulled out, heading towards Manorhamilton.
The woman said she then saw a flash and felt a bang.
A breathalyser test was conducted at the scene, which she passed.
A few months before his death, McMorrow was described by the High Court as being 'actively involved the sale and supply of drugs'.
He was closely connected to local mob boss Patrick Irwin.
In May 2023, High Court judge Mr Justice Alex Owens ruled that it was reasonable to believe that a Volkswagen Golf, two diamond rings and €5,000 in cash belonging to him were funded by the drugs trade.
The items, including the cash that was found hidden in his girlfriend's underwear that were seized by CAB, were declared proceeds of crime and confiscated from McMorrow, who had more than 50 criminal convictions.
McMorrow didn't challenge a CAB bid to have his car and cash declared the proceeds of crime.
His girlfriend Claudia Gethins claimed the rings were an inheritance.
The car and property were seized in garda raids in July 2021 targeting the gang in which McMorrow acted right-hand man to leader Patrick Irwin, who himself has previously been stripped of assets by CAB.
McMorrow's criminal career and connections with other drug dealers were detailed in affidavits submitted to the court as part of the CAB case.
Garda believe that while Irwin was in prison 2018, Ian McMorrow built up his own gang thanks to his brother Kenneth's connections with Dublin criminals, according to garda evidence detailed in court.
His brother Kenneth is married to a sister of Patrick Irwin, Catherine, a former soldier who was kicked out of the Army after obstructing garda trying search Kenneth.
The Irwin gang and the one previously controlled by Young have connections that stretch all along the west of Ireland, Northern Ireland and are linked to Dublin-based drug dealers with international connections.
Details of the CAB investigation into McMorrow later emerged, including how he paid for his 172-reg VW Golf for cash in Northern Ireland.
An Audi he traded in for the Golf had previously been bought for more than €10,000 in Co Meath when he had no legitimate means to acquire that amount of cash.
While two lodgements of €10,000 and €12,000 had been made to his bank account from compensation claims, later transactions didn't correspond with the purchase of the Golf.
A 'substantial amount' of duty, almost €8,000, was paid on the car by McMorrow's grandmother who the judge said had no interest in the car.
Judge Owens said McMorrow and Gethins are people of 'no means' who live in a house they don't own and don't have the resources to account for the car, jewellery or cash.
He said the explanation is in the affidavits that McMorrow is a drug-dealer 'working with other shady characters'
The judge appointed a receiver with the power to sell off the car and jewellery and ordered the proceeds from the sales to be lodged in an account until they are forfeited to the State.
McMorrow, who has more than 50 previous convictions, was a violent drug dealer selling cocaine and cannabis, who has received lengthy prison sentences.
While still in his 20s he was jailed for making threats to shoot someone during a drunken melee for which he served a prison sentence.
In 2022 he got a three-month suspended sentence for obstructing gardai when he was seen throwing away a plastic bag and a mobile phone as he was being chased by gardai near his home.
In 2019 he was prosecuted for dangerous driving after members of the Divisional Drugs Unit attempted to stop him getting away from them.
The car was driven at high-speed on the wrong side of the road, mounted footpaths and only came to an end when a tyre blew out.