A gang member who was involved in a foiled Kinahan cartel plot to murder a rival Hutch gang member almost five years ago has been jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Douglas Glynn, 37, from Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, admitted travelling to Northern Ireland and placing a tracker device on James Gately's car in advance of the arrival of an Estonian hitman who had been brought in to kill him.
Glynn had originally pleaded not guilty but changed his plea just over a week into his trial at the Special Criminal Court and admitted his involvement.
He is the fifth man jailed for his role in this attempt by the Kinahan organised crime group to murder Gately.
Two other men have also been jailed for their roles in a subsequent attempt on the Hutch gangster's life a month later in May of 2017.
Gately knew his life was in danger from the Kinahan organised crime group, which was involved in a feud with the rival Hutch gang following the murder of the Kinahan gang member David Byrne.
Byrne was shot dead at the Regency Hotel in February 2016.
We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
The Estonian Hitman, Imre Arakas, was brought to Ireland in April 2017 to kill Gately who was living in Belfast at the time.
Glynn was one of a number of men who travelled to Northern Ireland to put a tracking device on Gately's car.
On 30 March 2017, Glynn, Peter Keating and another man travelled to Belfast and Glynn tried but failed to get into Gately's apartment complex.
He was challenged in the underground car park and escorted out.
Glynn, who used the codename Oscar, managed to get in a second time when another car drove out of the complex and planted the tracking device on Gately's car.
Gardaí say Glynn was "slightly above" two other Kinahan gangsters, David Duffy and Stephen Fowler, in the criminal organisation, both of whom have already been jailed, along with Keating, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison for directing the activities of a criminal organisation.
Glynn has 16 previous convictions and is a convicted drug dealer with a conviction for possession of drugs for sale and supply.
The father-of-three pleaded guilty to participating in activities of a criminal organisation, contrary to Section 72 (1) (A) of the Criminal Justice Act.
When first arraigned on 9 November last year he had pleaded not guilty.
The specifics of the charge are that on dates between 7 December 2016 and 6 April 2017 inclusive, both within and outside the State and with knowledge of a criminal organisation and with the intent of enhancing the ability of the said criminal organisation or any of its members to commit a serious offence, namely the murder of James Gately, he did participate in or contribute to activities connected with the said offence.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt said today the criminal organisation which Glynn assisted was particularly serious and well organised and financed.
He said Glynn had been involved in the "contemplation" of a very serious offence and it was solely that the intervention of the gardaí prevented murder.
He sentenced him to seven-and-a-half years in prison with the final 12 months suspended.
Glynn, along with Arakas, Keating, Duffy and Fowler, is the fifth man to be found guilty in cases relating to the failed Kinahan organised crime group's attempt to murder Gately in Belfast.
In another subsequent attempt on his life, Gately survived being shot five times as he sat in his car at the then Topaz petrol station on the Clonshaugh Road in north Dublin on 10 May 2017.
In February of last year, 30-year-old Caolan Smyth of Cuileann Court, Donore, Co Meath, was sentenced to 20 years at the Special Criminal Court for the attempted murder of Gately and for possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Smyth had denied both charges.
Gary McAreavey, 53, of Gort Nua, Station Road, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, received a four-year jail term with the final year suspended for his role in burning out the car used in the attack.
