CAB face 'hard sell' in auction of cartel boss Ross Browning's plush Dublin house

Cartel boss Ross Browning’s plush countryside property, seized by the CAB and now up for public auction, will be “a hard sell,” according to sources.

The luxury property – Chestnut Lodge – in Garristown, north county Dublin as well as a two storey brick built house, a large commercial warehouse, three stables plus an expansive tarmacked yard – was taken into the possession of the CAB as part of a €1.4 million case against Kinahan Cartel mobster Browning and several of his family members.

The red brick house where Browning lived with his partner Sinead Mulhall at the back of the warehouse features an ‘escape hatch’ which was concealed with a hanging carpet.

This hatch led from the house to the warehouse and when officers from the CAB raided the property in 2018 a black Honda motorbike was at the foot of the escape hatch which a senior detective said in an affidavit “was clearly there for Browning’s use.”

The property, on 3.2 acres, was purchased partly with Browning’s drug money, the High Court ruled and last July officers from the CAB swooped on the property to officially seize it.

Ross Browning

Earlier this week we exclusively revealed the property is now for sale by public auction – an online auction that will take place on Thursday, May 25 by BRG Gibson Auctions and so far the advert for the property on Daft.ie has received over 4,000 views.

The property has an Advised Minimum Value (AMV) of €550k. Money from the sale will go to the Exchequer and a percentage will go to some of Browning’s family who used their own funds to renovate the property.

Now we can reveal that sources have said the property will be “a hard sell” for a number of reasons including the nature of its previous owner Browning as well as the lack of planning permission for several of the buildings.

“The cottage at the front was extended without planning permission and there were old sheds or hay barns on the grounds of the property which were replaced with the warehouse so the footprint of the warehouse is possibly not the same as the original sheds,” a source said.

“The redbrick house and stables at the back of the warehouse were also built without planning permission so potential buyers would have to seek advice over retention permission.” sources said.

“And the nature of the former owner, Browning, who was named in the High Court as the Kinahan Cartel’s No 1 man in Ireland, might put people off purchasing it. But we will have to wait and see what happens at the public auction.”

The description of Chestnut Lodge cottage on the auction advert- where Browning’s mother Julie and her partner, ex-garda David O’Brien lived – says it is a “two bedroom cottage extending to approximately 164m2 while internally accommodation briefly comprises entrance hall, open plan living/kitchen/dining area, two bedrooms (master ensuite) and bathroom. The property is in good condition internally and has been finished to a high standard.”

‘The House’ is described as a three-bedroom, red brick house located behind the warehouse. Internally accommodation comprises a living room, open plan kitchen/dining area, three bedrooms and bathroom while the warehouse is described as steel framed, concrete floor with lorry height doors.

The property was deemed the proceeds of crime by the High Court last year and Browning, originally from Hardwicke Street in Dublin’s inner city, didn’t challenge the €1.4 million Criminal Assets Bureau against him.

However, several members of his family denied CAB’s claim and said that money used came from legitimate sources.

In his judgement, Judge Alexander Owens said Browning’s mother Julie Conway and her partner ex-garda David O’Brien, who had been living in Chestnut Lodge, be allowed part of the proceeds from the sale of the renovated cottage because they had put some of their own money into it. This included €40,000 borrowed from the Garda Credit Union.

In his judgement Judge Owens said that although Browning’s name was not on the properties they were controlled by him, his partner Sinead Mulhall and his mother Julie Conway.

A number of other family members were named in the CAB case as being used to disguise Browning’s involvement including his sisters Cheryl and Robin, his aunt Lesley Conway, his late grandfather William Conway and his second cousin Ian O’Heaire.

Browning – who was described in court as the Kinahan Cartel’s No.1 man in Ireland being at the heart of an international crime gang involved in €1 billion worth of illegal activities – tried to disguise his drug money in Ireland through his family members who in return enjoyed his generosity when it came to cars, jewellery and travel.

His associates named in the case included Daniel Kinahan, Liam Byrne and Fat Freddy Thompson, who is serving life for a feud related murder.

Defence counsel said Browning’s family members “accept they [the properties] have to be vacated and surrendered,” and gave the undertaking to vacate them.

At a previous court hearing, Judge Owens granted an order to allow the CAB to appoint a receiver to sell off vehicles and jewellery which were also deemed the proceeds of crime.

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