Keane gang member and wife spent €59,000 renovating house despite neither having jobs

A member of the Keane gang in Limerick and his wife spent €59,000 carrying out “extensive works” to a house in Garryowen, despite neither of them having a job, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

The three-judge court also heard during today’s sentence hearing that the couple had their wedding reception at Bunratty Castle in Clare in 2019, which was a “significant family occasion” for the Keane Organised Crime Group.

The Keane gang are suspected of carrying out the importation of firearms and drugs on a national and international level and have been involved in a murderous feud with the McCarthy-Dundon gang since 2000, the court heard.

Defence lawyers for Warren Hehir – who is at the “mid level” of the Keane Organised Crime Group and is a nephew of murdered Limerick crime boss Kieran Keane – told the non-jury court that their client’s wife “would not be here were it not for him”. “These are my firm instructions and that goes to Warren’s credit and how he has approached the case,” said senior counsel Dean Kelly.

Vicky Hehir (30), also known as Victoria O’Halloran, of Bruach na Sionna, Castleconnell, Co Limerick and her husband Warren Hehir (33) of the same address appeared before the three-judge court for their sentence hearing today.

Warren Hehir has pleaded guilty that on dates between August 8, 2019 and 17 June, 2020 he possessed, used, converted, transferred or handled cash to the value of €59,000, knowing or believing or being reckless as to whether the property was the proceeds of criminal conduct, in discharging sums due and owing in respect of works carried out on Kilmurry Court, Garryowen, Limerick between August 8, 2019 and June 17, 2020.

He also pleaded guilty that on June 17, 2020 at The Path, Garryowen, he handled, acquired or possessed a Rolex watch knowing, believing or being reckless as to whether the watch was the proceeds of criminal conduct.

Vicky Hehir has pleaded guilty to one charge of money laundering in relation to the €59,000 for the works carried out at Kilmurry Court.

At today’s sentence hearing Sergeant Cathal O’Sullivan, from Roxboro Road Garda Station, told prosecuting counsel Fiona Murphy SC that the money laundering charges arose from an investigation launched to target the Keane Organised Crime Group in Limerick, which had its stronghold in Garryowen.

The sergeant said that the Keane Organised Crime Group and its associates are suspected of the importation of firearms and drugs on a national and international level. He said various searches of properties took place and one of the search warrants granted was for a property at The Path in Garryowen. He said two items of relevance were discovered at this address on June 17, 2020, namely a men’s Rolex watch valued at €13,600 and a woman’s Rolex worth €6,000.

Other items found, said the witness, were plans for a house at Kilmurry Court in the names of Warren and Vicky Hehir. An order to freeze the couple’s financial accounts in various institutions was sought on foot of the search and other items were found.

The sergeant said several bank accounts from various institutions in the name of Vicky Hehir were sought in July 2020. An order was later granted seeking documentation from her bank accounts and the relevant material was received by gardai.

Gardai discovered that numerous cash lodgements of various amounts had been made to a certain bank account but there had been no withdrawals since 2014. Sergeant O’Sullivan said the source of these monies were unknown and unexplained. Another AIB account was opened in 2017 and seven lodgements were in it and no withdrawals made.

Information received from the Revenue Commissioners showed that the couple hadn’t worked as PAYE employees. No social welfare had been claimed by either of them but Vicky Hehir had been in receipt of children’s allowance.

An investigation was launched by gardai into Kilmurry Court and it was established that Warren Hehir’s mother Sandra Hehir had purchased the property in August 2017 and that €39,000 had been paid as a deposit for the house.

Sandra Hehir (54), with an address at Assumpta Park, Island road, Limerick City, pleaded guilty last month before the Special Criminal Court to laundering over one hundred thousand euro in crime cash at her home.

Sgt O’Sullivan said it became apparent that the property at Kilmurry Court was being purchased on behalf of Warren and Vicky Hehir. He said a planning application had been made by Sandra Hehir for an extensive renovation and extension to the property. Extensive works were carried out to the value of €59,000 and the monies were paid by the couple, he continued.

Giving the background to the Keane Organised Crime Group, Sgt O’Sullivan said it was traditionally based in the St Mary’s Park area of Limerick but it is now located in the Garryowen area.

He said in the early 2000’s there was an amalgamation between the Keane-Collopy families but that they are now separate groups. “They are now involved in an ongoing feud with the McCarthy-Dundon’s since 2000. There has been a significant number of murders, attempted murders and forearms seizures linked to that organised crime group,” he said.

The court heard that Warren Hehir has 54 previous convictions which include money laundering in the context of drug dealing, robbery, criminal damage and the possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Sgt O’Sullivan told Ms Murphy that the couple married in 2019 and had their wedding reception at Bunratty Castle in Clare, which was a significant family occasion for the Keane Organised Crime Group.

Vicky Hehir, he said, was arrested in August 2020 and engaged in four interviews with gardai. Vicky Hehir told gardai she was no longer working as a hairdresser and had received €280 per month in child allowance. The defendant said her relationship with her mother-in-law Sandra had broken down and that they were no longer on speaking terms.

The court heard Vicky Hehir indicated to gardai that she had no other legitimate sources of income but did not accept that the monies came from an organised crime group.

When asked about the renovations to Kilmurry Court, Vicky Hehir accepted €59,000 was paid for it and that she had paid €12,000 of this in cash.

The court heard that Warren Hehir didn’t engage with gardai during his detention other than to answer one question in relation to renovations at Kilmurry Court, in which he said “I got the work done”. Sgt O’Sullivan said Warren Hehir is in the “mid level” of the Keane Organised Crime Group and that Vicky, who has one previous conviction for drugs, “is simply his wife”.

Under cross-examination, Sgt O’Sullivan agreed with Dean Kelly SC, for Warren Hehir, that his previous convictions for drugs arose from allegations of street dealing and that the largest sum was in the region of €4,100.

His previous conviction for possession of a firearm related to possession of pellets and BB guns. The witness agreed that no trappings of wealth and luxurious goods were evident in the couple’s home. He also agreed that Warren Hehir is a family man who discharges his responsibilities and whose general approach to criminal allegations is to put his hands up and plead guilty when caught.

Sgt O’Sullivan agreed with Vincent Heneghan SC, representing Vicky Hehir, that his client had somewhat cooperated with the investigation by answering some questions of assistance. The barrister said Vicky Hehir had moved away from Limerick City and is now based in Castleconnell. The witness agreed she is a full-time mother to her three children and dedicates herself to that role.

Counsel said his client “doesn’t have any involvement nowadays with anyone connected to the gang” and her involvement was the handing over of €12,000 to a builder. The sergeant agreed that Vicky was undoubtedly aware of her husband’s obvious activities and that she had learnt from this event.

In mitigation, Dean Kelly SC submitted to the court that there was a sense of distinction between the couple in terms of where they were placed in the scheme of things. “Warren agrees that Vicky would not be here were it not for him. These are my firm instructions and that goes to Warren’s credit and how he has approached this case,” said counsel.

Mr Kelly said his client’s criminality is acknowledged by gardai as being at the level of a street drug dealer and “a master criminal he is not”. “People who sell things on the street tend to be reasonably low level operators and are processing the benefits for others,” he added.

Counsel said the couple’s youngest child was 15 months old and that Warren was a devoted family man. “He is not an absent father or not off in some foreign country living in the lap of luxury,” he continued.

The lawyer said his client understands he has an unavoidable period of time to serve in prison, which will be a significant loss to his family. “Whilst he asks for some mercy for himself he asks that the greater aggregate be given to his wife,” he concluded.

Mr Heneghan submitted that Vicky Hehir is a stay at home mother who looks after her three children and that she was operating on her husband’s instructions, when she handed €12,000 in cash to the builder. “She knew about her husband’s involvement in criminal activity and was aware of it but her involvement was at the lowest end of the scale,” he said.

The barrister said his client’s previous conviction for drugs was in relation to purchasing cannabis but that she had not consumed any as she was apprehended by gardai. “She has a fear of going to prison and a fear of losing her children,” stressed counsel, adding that Vicky had now removed herself from Limerick City and from the influence of criminals.

Mr Justice Michael MacGrath, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge James Faughnan, remanded Warren Hehir in custody and Vicky Hehir on continuing bail until January 22 2024, when they will be sentenced. “The court takes a serious view of the offending of both defendants,” added Mr Justice MacGrath.

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