Receiver appointed to deal with assets of criminal who extorted money from Dublin City Council builders

A receiver has been appointed to sell off a mobile home that previously belonged to a known criminal who extorted thousands of euro from builders working for Dublin City Council in return for protection.

Justice Carmel Stewart at the High Court gave permission for a mobile home belonging to Derek 'Dee Dee' O'Driscoll to be sold off and for four bank accounts containing more than €250,000 to be taken over by the liquidator. The High Court has previously heard that O'Driscoll of Croftwood Grove, Ballyfermot and his "enforcer" David Reilly of nearby Croftwood Park charged firms building houses for the city council between €1,200 and €1,500 per week to protect their sites from vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Benedict O'Floinn SC for the State told Justice Stewart that O'Driscoll and Reilly could go with a garda to the mobile home to pick up any personal belongings before the sale.

However, John Noonan BL for the respondents said his clients were not willing to be "frogmarched" to the home by a garda as they believe gardaí want to use the opportunity to "put them under pressure" and to abuse, embarrass or humiliate them. Justice Stewart agreed to allow the two men to go to the mobile home with a garda and compile a list of items that they would like the liquidator to make available to them. A horse box that was seized by CAB but which neither respondent claimed ownership of will also be sold off.

O'Driscoll has 20 previous convictions, including for bribing a garda, violent disorder and perverting the course of justice.