Daniel Kinahan’s mob handed Jim Mansfield Jnr two suitcases stuffed with €4.5million for a property investment which later failed, it was claimed yesterday.
The High Court heard details of how the interaction took place but that the deal subsequently collapsed as the businessman’s fortune “deteriorated”.
In 2014, in an effort to reimburse the gang, Mansfield Jnr handed control of a gated mansion to gang boss Kinahan and his No2, Thomas “Bomber” Kavanagh, as well as making cash payments.
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The Criminal Assets Bureau yesterday secured an order to seize the property, No 10 Coldwater Lakes in Saggart, South Co Dublin, which is worth in excess of €1million. It also recovered around €50,000 in cash.
Shelly Horan BL for CAB claimed Kinahan had occupied and controlled the house from 2014 onwards due to the nature of items found inside it. The court, which sat in Croke Park, also heard there were efforts to legitimately transfer the Dublin property to Kavanagh.
CAB outlined how the cartel had hoped to make investments in the property market through Mansfield Jnr. In 2009 two suitcases containing €4.5million were handed over to the businessman.
However, along with the economic collapse, his fortunes “deteriorated” and the investment “turned sour”.
Mansfield Jnr attempted to repay the gang by handing over the Saggart property and making cash payments.
From 2014 onwards, both Kinahan and Kavanagh were the controllers of the asset.
The court also heard an envelope marked “KAVS” and containing €5,000 in cash was seized at Mansfield Jnr’s Tassagart House home in Saggart when gardai raided it in 2015.
In addition, there was a separate envelope containing €24,150 while a further €20,500 was discovered in a nearby property.
No one claimed ownership of these cash bundles, although it is believed they were destined for the cartel.
Ms Horan said efforts were underway to serve orders on Kinahan. Although CAB has already tried to carry out service on the mob boss, who has been based at his Dubai bolthole since 2017, none have yet been successful.
The lawyer explained it may need to be done via social media but that CAB has been in talks with a business associate of Kinahan who may accept the papers.
The High Court previously established that 44-year-old Kinahan is the manager and controller of the cartel.
Yesterday, Ms Horan described Kavanagh as an “international drug trafficker” who was “key” in the Kinahan organised crime group.
She said Kavanagh is married to Joanna Byrne, whose brother David was shot dead in the Regency Hotel attack in February 2016.
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Joanna and David’s sibling is Liam Byrne, the head of the Byrne organised crime group. This was the Irish branch of the Kinahan cartel, the court was told.
Ms Horan made an application to serve Kavanagh, who is currently locked up at HMP Norwich in the UK.
Originally from Drimnagh in Dublin, the 54-year-old was last week sentenced to 21 years behind bars for drug trafficking along with money laundering.
Anne Mansfield, the widower of Jim Mansfield Snr who died in 2014, was part of the agreement yesterday in the High Court not to contest the matter with CAB, as was Mansfield Jnr and his brother PJ, who was present.
The court heard Anne Mansfield did not have any involvement in the property but that her son had been caught in a “quagmire”.
Mansfield Jnr is currently serving a sentence behind bars for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The family’s legal representative told the court they wanted this matter to conclude quickly.
They also agreed not to seek compensation in the future.
The court, sitting before Judge Michael MacGrath, granted orders to seize the house and cash and to remit the assets to the exchequer.
The case was put back to a date in May when an update on orders being served on Kinahan and Kavanagh will
be given.
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