Declan Brady, also known as Mr Nobody, is an Irish criminal with convictions for possession of firearms and money laundering.[1][2] He is a senior figure in the Kinahan Organised Crime Group founded by Christy Kinahan.[1][2]
Early life
[edit]Brady grew up in Drimnagh.[1] His father was a haulier, but had a drinking problem.[1] He left school at 14 and worked for his father and eventually got his own truck licence.[3]
Criminal career
[edit]Possession of firearms
[edit]In July 2019 he pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to possessing nine revolvers, four semi-automatic pistols, a sub-machine gun, an assault rifle and 1,355 rounds of ammunition at a unit in Greenogue Business Park, Rathcoole, County Dublin.[1] The firearms were found in a unit that was purported to be an office of a legitimate UK logistics company that has no offices in Ireland.[1] Firearms were found in the upstairs loft area during a search on 24 January 2017.[1]
He was sentenced to eleven and a half years.[1] Two other men were also convicted.[1]
Money laundering
[edit]He was charged in February 2021 with 16 non-scheduled offences under Section 7 of the Criminal Justice Act 2021.[3][2] The charges related to money laundering and terrorist financing within the Republic of Ireland.[3][2] All the offences he was alleged to have committed took place between 1 January 2012 and 24 January 2017.[3][2] In April 2021 he pleaded guilty in the Special Criminal Court to hiding €268,000 in the loft of a premises in Naas.[3][2]
At a further hearing on 14 June 2021, Brady, his wife and Lukacs all pleaded guilty to further money laundering charges.[4] Brady declared "no gross income" from 2013 to 2017, but had five bank accounts and admitted laundering over €418,000.[4] His wife Deirdre also told Revenue she had no income, but had eight bank accounts and admitted laundering €770,000.[4] She also admitted transferring over €140,000 to a Spanish account of Thomas Kavanagh over five years.[4] She paid €3,000 a month to her husband's Spanish mortgage account for a property in Cala d'Or, more than €138,000 between 2014 and 2016.[4] The couple paid over €66,000 to the Druids Glen hotel for the wedding of a relative.[4] Mrs Brady unwittingly paid the rent on a property lived in by her husband and Ms. Lukacs.[4]
All three have paid money to the Criminal Assets Bureau.[4] The Bradys were assessed as owing €622,929 and still owe €173,649.[4] They have sold properties in Firhouse, Wolstan Abbey and in Tavira to pay over €449,000.[4] The properties in Cala d'Or were seized by a Spanish bank.[4]
Lukacs settled with the Criminal Assets Bureau for €71,327.[4]
The three were sentenced in July 2021 with Declan Brady being jailed for seven years and three months for laundering crime cash while his wife and Lukacs received three-year suspended sentences.[5]
Murder of Noel Kirwan
[edit]In June 2024, Brady was sentenced to ten years in jail with the final year suspended for his involvement with the killing.[6][7] Brady, who claimed that he is no longer affiliated with the Kinahan gang, is already serving sentences for money laundering and firearms offences.[7] The final year of his sentence was suspended on condition that Brady continued disassociating from the gang.[7]
Personal life
[edit]He is married, but has separated from his wife and is in a relationship with a Hungarian national with whom he has a young daughter, who has a rare genetic disorder.[1] He was living in Celbridge at the time of his firearms conviction.[1]
Other
[edit]He was a senior mourner at the funeral of David Byrne, who was killed in a shooting at the Regency Hotel.[8] He was known as "Mr Nobody" because Gardaí did not know who he was until the funeral.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Giblin, Ruaidhrí (15 July 2019). "'Mr Nobody' jailed for managing Kinahan gang's 'arsenal'". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Neilan, Paul (23 April 2021). "Senior Kinahan figure pleads guilty to hiding €268,000 in attic". The Irish Times. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Neilan, Paul (23 April 2021). "Senior cartel lieutenant 'Mr Nobody' admits to stashing €268,000 in Kildare attic". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Reynolds, Paul (14 June 2021). "Kinahan gang member, his wife and mistress admit money laundering". RTÉ News. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
- ^ "Kinahan cartel's 'Mr Nobody' jailed as wife and mistress get suspended sentences". 30 July 2021.
- ^ Cummins, Barry (26 June 2024). "'Mr Nobody': How a trucker turned Kinahan gang leader was caught". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ a b c Reynolds, Paul (24 June 2024). "Man jailed for nine years for role in Noel Kirwan murder". RTÉ News. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ Reynolds, Paul (4 August 2019). "How the Kinahan crime gang were jailed". RTÉ News. Retrieved 23 April 2021.