Crime gang ‘foot soldier’ gets six years

A MAN described as a “foot soldier” in Limerick’s notorious McCarthy Dundon gang was jailed yesterday for six years for his role in a planned retaliation gun attack in the continuing city feud.

John Collins, 19, of Monabraher Road, Ballynantybeg pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to possessing a high-power Browning semi automatic pistol and 15 rounds of 9mm ammunition on May 26, 2010, two days after a gun attack left a fellow gang member with serious injuries.

Collins was intercepted by armed detectives, after collecting the gun and ammunition which had been hidden in a field.

When Collins was arrested, brothers Kieran and Eds Ryan were with him. They were at the centre of a suspected staged abduction in 2003 which played a part in the abduction and murder of gang boss Kieran Keane.

Kieran Keane, along with Philip Collopy, shot dead Eddie Ryan — father of the Ryan brothers — in the Moose Bar in November 2000. That murder led to an escalation of the feud.

Kieran Ryan was jailed for eight years and Eds Ryan for six years last July when they pleaded guilty to the same offence as Collins.

Sgt Padraig Byrnes, Roxboro Road station, told the court another foot solider of the McCarthy Dundon gang, Daniel Phillips, was shot in the head in a gun attack near the city centre on May 24, 2010.

Collins, he claimed, along with the Keane brothers, were intent on carrying out a retaliation as tensions were at boiling point.

Sgt Byrnes said Collins, the Ryan brothers, and an unnamed woman travelled to Carrigmartin near Ballyneety at about 1pm on May 26, 2010.

Armed detectives were watching the movements of the Silver Avensis car they were travelling in.

After stopping at the gates of a field, Collins went in and began to search undergrowth. He was then joined by Eds Ryan in the search.

They were seen picking up a package wrapped in grey duct tape which they took from a hiding hole in the field. They wrapped it in a grey jumper and placed it in the boot of the car.

As they travelled back into the city their car was intercepted by armed members of the Regional Support Unit about one kilometre from where they had picked up the package.

An attempt was made to drive off and this resulted in a serious injury to a member of the Special Detective Unit. Collins was not the driver of the car at the time.

Sgt Byrnes said he located the grey jumper in the car with the pistol and ammunition wrapped in it.

Ballistic tests showed the pistol was in working order and the ammunition could be used in the gun.

Sgt Bynes said: “A retaliation was contemplated by the McCarthy Dundon gang who Mr Philips was associated with and gardaí believe the accused and associates were intent on carrying out this retaliation.”

Sgt Byrnes said Collins “was a foot soldier who was naive and easily led”.