A 37-year-old man has been convicted by the Special Criminal Court of conspiracy to murder a criminal linked to one of Dublin's two feuding criminal gangs.
The court found that Liam Brannigan from Bride Street, Dublin, played a central role in the oversight and management of a plot to kill Gary Hanley two-and-a-half-years ago.
Recorded phone calls, surveillance, sightings and CCTV footage all served to convict Brannigan.
The plan was to shoot and kill Mr Hanley at his home on 6 November 2017, but the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Unit had the gang under surveillance.
Brannigan was found to be in phone contact with two other conspirators Alan Wilson and Joseph Kelly ten times that day and was in some of the cars that had been sourced for shooting.
'Branner', as he was referred to, was recorded giving directions and instructions on the murder route and what to do with the gun.
"You're breaking my heart," he is recorded as saying to one of them and "Tell him to get ready and go do this s*** tonight".
He also complained in another conversation about Mr Kelly's inability to carry out his orders.
"Only for I have this other bleeding charge," he said, (a reference to another charge he was facing at the time) "I'd do all this myself. It would put you in an early grave."
Brannigan also referred by Christian name to a person he was close to and what he had to do later. The court described this conversation and his nickname (Branner) as significant identifiers.
On the day he was arrested, he was seen on CCTV footage in the car park near his home to throw an object before surrendering to the gardaí.
It turned out to be his phone, which gardaí found in a search of nearby undergrowth two days later when they rang it and listened.
He was also seen near the home of Mr Hanley in a van that had been specially adapted for surveillance with a hole in the back and a chair inside it.
Other phones with the identity numbers scratched off were also found in Brannigan's apartment.
He was arrested following an intensive investigation and surveillance operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, which is investigating the ongoing Hutch-Kinahan feud.
He is the fifth person to be convicted for his role in the murder plot.
Luke Wilson has already been jailed for 11 years, Joseph Kelly for 12 years, while Alan Wilson is serving six years in prison.
Dean Howe has pleaded guilty and is to be sentenced next month.
Brannigan pleaded not guilty but the court ruled today that he played a central role in the oversight and management of the plot to kill Mr Hanley.
Mr Justice Paul Coffey described the evidence as consistent, cogent and overwhelming.
The 37-year-old was remanded in custody for sentencing later this month.
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