A 27-year-old man has admitted helping a criminal gang carry out the murder of Noel Kirwan in December 2016 as part of the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan feud.
Jason Keating of Lower Main Street, Rush, Co Dublin pleaded guilty to the offence at the Special Criminal Court this morning.
He had been on trial for murder but the court was told the State would not be proceeding with that charge.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the new charge was most useful in cases where people play roles short of "pulling the trigger".
Keating was remanded in custody for sentencing next month.
Mr Kirwan was shot dead as he sat in his car outside his home in Ronanstown in Dublin, with his partner was sitting beside him.
The 62-year-old was not involved but was a long-time friend of Gerard Hutch, the man known as The Monk.
Keating was charged with the murder and put on trial at the Special Criminal Court
The prosecution said he was connected to the crime through phones, CCTV, a burned out van and a Gotek tracking device, which had been fixed to the undercarriage of the victim’s car.
The tracker had previously been in London, France, Holyhead in Wales, Dublin Port, Crumlin, and Sandyford before being picked up in St Ronan’s Drive in Clondalkin, where Mr Kirwan lived.
At the Special Criminal Court today a new charge was put to Keating that he participated in the activities of a criminal organisation and helped that gang to murder Mr Kirwan.
The prosecution said it would not be proceeding with the charge of murder against him.
Mr Justice Hunt said the new charge provides for some flexibility and for serious penalties.
The law of homicide as currently structured, he said, was inflexible and was long overdue for reform in its substance and mandatory sentencing.
The court remanded Keating in custody for sentencing next month.
