A CRIMINAL WHO provided a getaway car for the attempted murder of notorious Limerick gangster Christy Keane and who had a “Damascus Road experience”, claiming he turned his life around, has been sentenced to six-and-a-half years imprisonment by the Special Criminal Court.

At the three-judge court today, ‘Red’ Larry McCarthy was sentenced for what Ms Justice Caroline Biggs said was the “procurement and placement” of a getaway car during the course of an “infamous” feud between crime gangs – the McCarthy-Dundons and the Keane-Collopys – in the attempted murder of veteran Limerick criminal Christy Keane.

At a sentencing hearing last month, Brian McCartney KC, for McCarthy, said his client is committed to his family and his new community in Co Donegal, where his personal circumstances and lifestyle are “completely different” to what persisted during his period of offending.

McCartney said his client had undergone a “road to Damascus experience” since moving to Donegal.

McCarthy (45), with a previous address at Tower Lodge, Old Court Road, Limerick City, pleaded guilty at the non-jury court in October last year that between 27 June and 29 June 2015, he made a vehicle available to a criminal organisation, the McCarthy-Dundons, that was used as a getaway vehicle in the attempted murder of drug-dealer Keane.

The offence, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, carries a maximum sentence of 15 years imprisonment.

At a hearing last month, Detective Garda Sergeant Paraig O’Dwyer told prosecution counsel John Byrne SC that the McCarthy-Dundon and Keane-Collopy organised crime gangs have been involved in an “infamous feud” dating back to 1993, when Patrick McCarthy was killed.

Christy Keane, said counsel, was acquitted of that murder but his brother, Kieran Keane, was later murdered. Five members of the McCarthy-Dundon gang have been convicted in relation to that offence, the detective said.

In separate cases before the gangland-specialised court, evidence has been given that the Keane gang are involved in the distribution of drugs and suspected of the importation of firearms on a national and international level. The court heard they had been involved in an ongoing feud with the McCarthy-Dundon gang and that there had been 19 murders.

At the Special Criminal Court today, Ms Justice Biggs said McCarthy has 14 previous convictions, including violent disorder and assault causing harm. She noted that in July 2005 McCarthy received an eleven-year sentence from Southwark court in the UK for possession of a MAC-11 “military armament” gun.

In sentencing McCarthy, Ms Justice Biggs set a headline sentence of 10 years imprisonment, which placed the offence at the top end of the mid-range for incarceration.

Ms Justice Biggs said that in mitigation the court would reduce McCarthy’s sentence by 20% to eight years imprisonment.

Ms Justice Biggs said mitigating factors included McCarthy’s guilty plea, which was of “great assistance” and a psychologist’s report saying McCarthy was not judged to be a “significant risk” of reoffending.

Ms Justice Biggs noted that the psychologist reported that McCarthy had spent his time “extremely positively” in Donegal, had a job before being taken into custody, had engaged in various programmes and was socially proactive.

In addressing McCarthy’s personal circumstances, the judge noted that all three of McCarthy’s children were either studying or working, with one studying law and another in the British Army, and that his wife had health issues.

Ms Justice Biggs said McCarthy had made “very significant progress” in Donegal and had been crime-free for nine years.

Ms Justice Biggs said that to incentivise McCarthy’s ongoing rehabilitation the court would suspend the final 18 months of the eight-year sentence during which time he is to be of good behaviour and remain under the supervision of the probation service.

Prosecution counsel John Byrne SC said McCarthy had already spent two years, seven months and 20 days in custody on the matter, which Ms Justice Biggs said the court would regard as time already served on the six-and-a-half year sentence.

At the sentencing hearing, Garda Superintendent Eamon O’Neill agreed with defence counsel that McCarthy’s personal circumstances growing up “eliminated any real prospect of an alternative lifestyle” and that McCarthy had left school at 11 years of age.

The lives of McCarthy, his wife and his three children are “in total contrast” to the lifestyles they may have been attracted to had they remained in Limerick, counsel said.

“His living accommodation and circumstances are completely different to those that persisted during the period of his offending and earlier lifestyle,” counsel said. He said the report concluded that McCarthy does not pose a significant risk of threat to any member of the public and is unlikely to reoffend.

He added: “The accused has experienced a Damascus Road experience in terms of his move to the northwest.”

“Thirty years ago, his social and personal circumstances would have rendered such changes impossible or highly unlikely. A totally different person appears before this court today,” McCartney told the sentence hearing.

On 29 June 2015, at 6.30am, Christy Keane arrived at the University of Limerick gym of which he was a member and where he regularly attended in the mornings.

Two gunmen wearing balaclavas got out of a red Ford Focus and fired 13 rounds into Keane’s Nissan pickup truck as he sat in the driver’s seat.

The gunmen fled in the Ford Focus while Keane made his way on foot to an adjacent running track, where he collapsed. A nurse who was due to attend the gym class with Keane found him, called emergency services and began administering first aid.

Crime boss Keane was taken to University Hospital Limerick and treated for four gunshot wounds – three to the upper arm and wrist and one to the lower back that punctured a lung.

The Ford Focus was found burned out a short distance away and the gunmen transferred to a white Volvo Estate car which they drove to another area on the outskirts of Limerick City before it was also set on fire.

When gardaí examined the cars they found a Glock semi-automatic pistol in the Ford Focus and a Luger in the Volvo forensically linked to the shooting of Keane.

McCarthy, the detective said, had assisted in making the white Volvo estate available to the gunmen. He said McCarthy and another man, Noel Price, travelled from Limerick to Dublin one week before the shooting where Price picked up the Volvo and drove it to Limerick, followed by McCarthy.

McCarthy was also involved in putting the Volvo in position the evening before the shooting, ready for the gunmen to help them make their escape.

In July of last year, Price (then 45) of Kileely Road, Limerick City was jailed for six-and-a-half years for the same offence relating to the Ford Focus.

Price was jailed for having knowledge of the existence of the McCarthy-Dundon criminal organisation, he assisted in making available a vehicle to that criminal organisation with the intention of facilitating the commission by the aforesaid organisation of the attempted murder of Christy Keane or being reckless as to same.

At the time of his sentencing, Price had 90 previous convictions, which included criminal damage, possession of drugs, burglary and assault. Price previously received a 12-year sentence for arson in 2001, after he threw a petrol bomb at the front window of a property belonging to Christy Keane’s sister.

Drug-dealer Keane was himself sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2000 for possession of €240,000 worth of cannabis.