3 days ago
Kinahan associate Sean McGovern appears in court charged with murder
Sean McGovern has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with murder and directing a criminal organisation, following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.
McGovern has been living in Dubai, where the United Arab Emirates authorities recently agreed to extradite him to Ireland.
He left Dubai at 8pm Irish time on Wednesday on board an Irish Air Corps Casa 295 plane. The flight stopped off in Larnaca in Cyprus and Marseille in France to refuel before making the final journey to the Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell, in the south-west of Dublin. Sean McGovern. Pic: An Garda Síochána
The flight landed at about 6.30pm before gardai brought McGovern directly to the Criminal Courts of Justice building on Parkgate Street in Dublin, arriving at about 7.15pm.
Armed gardai supported the transport of McGovern and dozens of detectives and uniformed officers attended court 11 for a late sitting of the Special Criminal Court. McGovern was brought from the cell area, wearing a grey t-shirt and sat in the dock.
Det Garda Donal O'Daly told the court that he arrested McGovern today at Casement Aerodrome at 6.38pm and explained the charges to him.
Ciara Vibien, a solicitor for the Director of Public Prosecutions, applied to have McGovern tried before the three-judge, non-jury court on five charges, including one charge of murder.
Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, sitting with Her Honour Judge Elma Sheahan and Judge Grainne Malone, agreed to the application. She adjourned the matter to a later date and remanded McGovern in custody.
McGovern (39), with a previous address at Kildare Road, Crumlin, Dublin 12 is charged with the murder of Noel Kirwan on December 22, 2016 at St Ronan's Drive, Clondalkin in Dublin.
He is also charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in connection with the same murder between October 20 2016 and December 22, 2016.
He is charged with directing the activities of a criminal organisation in connection with the surveillance of James Gately in preparation for the commission of an indictable offence between October 17, 2015 and April 6, 2017.
Another charge alleges that between October 20 and December 22, 2016 he contributed to or participated in activity intending or being reckless as to whether such activity would facilitate a criminal organisation in the murder of Mr Kirwan.
He faces a similar charge of facilitating a criminal organisation in a conspiracy to murder James Gately.
Before the State's application, Olan Callanan BL, for McGovern, said he has spoken to his client and has seen the charges. Counsel said the defence is reserving its position on the lawfulness of the arrest and the jurisdiction of the court.
Earlier in the day, Deputy Commissioner of An Garda Siochana Shawna Coxon described McGovern's extradition as 'another significant development in our continued work with international law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle transnational organised crime gangs.'
She added: 'This work has involved extensive meetings by Senior Garda Officers here and abroad with international law enforcement partners, as well as highly detailed and intricate investigative work with those partners.'
