An Estonian hitman who was contracted by an international crime cartel and boasted to his associates in coded text messages that he would take out his target with "one shot to the head" has been jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years.

An Estonian hitman who was put under surveillance after he flew into Ireland told his associates in a text message that he would take out his target with "one shot to the head", the non-jury Special Criminal Court heard today.

An Estonian man charged with conspiracy to murder a friend of the Hutch family is to face a non-jury trial in the Special Criminal Court.