Senior figures of the Kinahan organised crime group expressed paranoia after the arrest of a hired Estonian hitman, an Irish court has heard. Encrypted communications found on mobile devices revealed fears that tracking devices could be traced back to them and concerns that someone was communicating information to An Garda Siochana, the Irish police service.
This evidence was presented during a sentencing hearing for Sean McGovern, 40, at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin on Monday. McGovern has pleaded guilty to two charges of directing the activities of a criminal organisation in connection with the deadly Hutch-Kinahan feud, in which he himself was shot.
The charges against McGovern
The charges relate to his involvement in the lead-up to the murder of Noel Kirwan, a grandfather shot dead in December 2016, and the targeting and monitoring of James Gately with the intention of having him killed. The planned shooting of Gately did not occur after the hired Estonian hitman, Imre Arakas, was arrested upon arriving in Ireland.
The Hutch-Kinahan feud dates back to 2014 and escalated following the 2016 Regency Hotel shooting, where David Byrne was murdered and McGovern was injured.
Victim impact statement
During Monday’s hearing, Noel Kirwan’s daughter, Donna, described McGovern as “stupid” in her victim impact statement. Detective Sergeant Dolan Daly told the court that Mr Kirwan had no criminal involvement and was targeted due to a perceived connection to the Hutch organised crime group after being photographed at a Hutch family funeral.
Addressing McGovern, who was shot himself at the Regency Hotel, she said: “You were shot yourself in the Regency Hotel, you would have seen the fear and panic in your own family that day. Why would you choose to inflict that pain on us – it was Christmas.” McGovern, a father of two, looked at the floor throughout much of the statement. She added: “You should have been out shopping for your own kids, not planning the murder of a 62-year-old grandfather.”
Evidence of surveillance
Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, explained that the Kinahan and Hutch groups had previously worked together before a falling out in 2014. The feud escalated after the shooting of Gary Hutch in Spain in 2015 and the Regency Hotel attack. Gately, who carried Hutch’s coffin, was an active target for assassination since 2015, as the Kinahan group believed he was one of the gunmen disguised as armed gardai at the Regency.
The court heard that Gately’s movements in Dublin and Belfast were tracked using GPS devices placed on his car. Along with CCTV, surveillance, and tracker data, gardai uncovered messages on Blackberry phones reconfigured by the Kinahan group to use Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption. McGovern was identified by the nickname “Knife,” while Gately was referred to as “Mago.” Other senior figures used nicknames including “Cap” or “Bon.”
Encrypted messages reveal plans
Two days after the Regency shooting, Cap messaged McGovern saying “it could have been six of us” and “could have wiped out” a “whole bloodline.” McGovern replied: “They wanted you.” Further messages showed discussions about potential targets in the Hutch family and Gately, with McGovern stating: “On my baby’s life, I’m not stopping.”
McGovern also shared “fresh pics” of Gately, his partner, and children with another gang member, as they tracked Gately’s partner at one stage. In April 2017, gardai arrested Imre Arakas, the Estonian hitman, upon his arrival in Ireland. He was found with a Blackberry phone containing PGP software and a note with details on Gately, including his Belfast apartment locations and PGP account information for Kinahan members, including “Bon new.”
In one message, Arakas said it “seems possible to take him down when he comes out of car” but noted “nowhere to hide.” He added that a silencer “would be good” and said: “It could just be one shot from the head from distance and that’s it.” After Arakas’s arrest, the PSNI recovered a GPS tracker from Gately’s car.
Gang paranoia after arrest
Mr Gallagher read transcripts of messages between Bon and McGovern following the arrests. Bon said: “They know, I reckon. Okay mate, I’m going offline.” McGovern advised an associate: “I’d get out of there if I was you.” Bon sent a message stating “old bill know and they’re playing with us” and added: “Just forget it, cut it off.” Bon also asked if gloves were worn when placing the tracker and questioned how quickly gardai could trace them, adding: “Maybe just paro.”
McGovern admitted to being “mad paro,” while Bon suggested “someone told old bill about it all.” Bon later told McGovern: “We have to change tactics mate.” McGovern replied: “100% or we’re all going to go to jail with stich-ups mate.” Bon stated he had a “new plan” and assured McGovern: “I will get Mago within two to four weeks.”
McGovern was extradited from the UAE after an Interpol red notice in October 2024 and pleaded guilty to both offences on March 16, 2026. Under questioning from McGovern’s barrister, Mr Gallagher confirmed that pseudonyms were used for some individuals for operational reasons. The sentencing hearing will continue on Friday.
