A COURT HAS heard the moment a would-be assassin loaded a Beretta handgun and gloated to a co-plotter “we’re laughing with this” before armed gardai intercepted their bugged vehicle.

The men were heard saying “aw, no, aw no” as members of the Armed Support Unit ordered them to open the door of their Volkswagen caddy and to show their hands.

The man who put the clip in the Beretta was earlier heard saying, “I wanna get this fucking over with” because he said he needed “a few fucking quid” for Christmas.

Liam Brannigan (37) from Bride Street, Dublin 8, is charged with conspiring to murder Gary Hanley at a location within the State between September 15th and November 6th, 2017.

The accused has pleaded not guilty.

The court has previously heard that the VW caddy was one of six suspect vehicles bugged by gardaí with devices in August, September and October 2017. 

The court previously heard that Mr Brannigan was seen driving the same van on October 3rd, 2017.

It’s also previously heard surveillance gardai give evidence about the movements of several men during those months, up to and including the arrest of Luke Wilson and Joseph Kelly at 8.08pm on 6 November 2017, a “short distance” from Mr Hanley’s home and during which gardai seized a Beretta.

Alan Wilson and Liam Brannigan were arrested at separate locations in Dublin that night, also over the alleged plot to kill Mr Hanley.

Luke Wilson, Joseph Kelly and Alan Wilson have previously pleaded guilty to the plot and been jailed.

Today, in the Special Criminal Court, the court heard the continuation of an audio recording from the bugged caddy van on November 6th at 6.22pm – just hours before the four men were arrested.

In the early part of the recording, two men – male one and male two – were heard talking.

Later on, a third man, male three, joined them in the caddy van.

At one point male two leaves the vehicle, leaving male one and male three in the caddy.

The court has not heard the men’s specific identities but the court has already heard a surveillance garda – Garda V – give evidence that on the night of 6 November they saw Alan Wilson driving the caddy towards Rialto, with Joseph Kelly as a passenger.

The same surveillance officer later saw the caddy stop outside a chemist in Rialto and Luke Wilson get into the back of the van.

In the early part of the recording, male two is heard on the phone telling someone that they were “en route now”, that there was a bit of traffic, and that they were heading to Rialto. 

At one point, male one asks male two what he thinks would be the best way to get to Glasnevin from Rialto.

A phone rings and male two is heard answering and saying that they were “just picking this other fella up” before asking “if this doesn’t happen where does this toy go to?”.

Male two also tells the caller that he [male two] was driving and that they would go to Phibsboro before going their “separate ways”.

Alleged plans

After this call, the recording hears a door open and close and the men say hello to male three.

They talk about collecting a “yoke”, making a “switch” and the torching of a car later.

Male two tells male three that he has a new phone but no credit “so there’s no point giving it to you”.

Male three replies “no bother” before male two says: “the other fella is checking it”.

The car then stops at one point and the bang of a car door is heard.

Male one and male three then discuss a cemetery in Glasnevin before male one tells male three that he’s worried about “sitting around with a toy in the car”.

Male one then gets a phone call and it appears male one is lost and can’t find a specific location. Male one then rings someone and after that call, he tells male three: “Back down the fucking hill. Did you see any hill?”

Male one’s phone rings again and he appears to have been told to look out for a Lidl.

Shortly after, male one is heard saying “this is Lidl there…car park is there…” and then male one is seemingly heard talking to someone outside the vehicle.

Male one is heard saying “sorry pal…just pulled out there…see ya later, pal”.

The car starts to travel again and immediately after setting off, male one and male three talk about an automatic Beretta.

Male three tells male one: “It’s a Beretta with a silencer” to which male one replies: “lovely”.

One of the men says: “We can crack him 100 times.”

Male three says the target can be “leathered out of it in the chest”.

One of the men says “that’s right, get him in the body first” while male three says “he’s a big fucker..he was in the Sunday World recently”.

The sound of a bag being zipped is then heard.

Male three then says: “I might as well get this fucking ready yeah, get the clip on it in anyways. It’s some fucking motor that isn’t it?”

Moments later, male three says: “We’re laughing with this, we’re laughing.”

Moments later gardai are suddenly heard shouting at the men to open the door of their car.

The men can be heard saying, “aw, no, aw no”.

The court also heard a technical examination of an 085 phone attributed to Mr Brannigan – which the prosecution claim he threw into the grounds of a church immediately before his arrest on November 6th, 2017 – had only three real contacts on the phone, two for Alan Wilson and one for Joseph Kelly.

Luke Wilson (24), from Cremona Road in Ballyfermot, Dublin; Alan Wilson (39) of New Street Gardens, Dublin 8; and Joseph Kelly (35) of Kilworth Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12, all previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Mr Hanley.

Luke Wilson, who also pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a Beretta, was jailed for 11 years; Alan Wilson was given six years and Joseph Kelly, who also admitted a weapons charge, was jailed for 12 years.

The trial continues.