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Crime World

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Crime World, with Nicola Tallant, is a weekly Iri…

Crime World

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Episode 300: Liam Byrne's arrest and the Gardai's encrochat failings

The Encrochat phone hack which has been the catalyst for the sensational arrest of Kinahan Cartel lieutenant Liam Byrne on Majorca this week has netted hundreds of criminals their cash, guns and drugs for police forces across Europe. But Ireland’s stance on the multi agency offensive described as the greatest blow to organised crime in decades has been more than curious. Despite a raft of convictions already made and hundreds more before the courts, Ireland has yet to charge one person using Encrochat intelligence it received from Dutch and French police instead deciding to remain an outlier. Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about the strange decisions made by An Garda Siochana during a crucial opportunity against criminals, about the lack of accountability around orders to withhold information from specialist units and about the future of a force whose police plan appears to be stuck in the past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 299: Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's failed bid to recoup costs for Regency murder trial defence

Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch has failed in his court bid to recoup his massive legal costs from the Regency murder trial. The Special Criminal Court has refused his application saying there was no unfairness by the State in bringing Hutch to trial over 52 days. And that although he was acquitted the court found he was involved in serious criminal conduct underlying the charges against him and that he was the patriarchal figure in the Hutch Organised Crime Group. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about what options The Monk has left his bid to get back his trial bill of more than €500k and we ponder should he appeal or simply quit while he’s ahead. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 298: Kinahan cartel lieutenant Liam Byrne and his circle of celebrity friends including Steven Gerrard

Kinahan Cartel target Liam Byrne has networked with a host of celebrities from the world of sport in recent years managing to moonlight between days out at Ascot races and what officers say is a seedy underbelly of organised crime. With his son Lee currently dating football star Steven Gerrard’s daughter following a string of influencer girlfriends it seems the worlds of crime and celebrity merge with ease in the modern world. Nicola is joined by Niall Donald to talk about the first court appearance of Byrne since his dramatic arrest on the island of Majorca this week on Gun charges and about the millionaire friends he has kept close over years at the very top of the organised crime ladder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 297: The crimes of far-right extremist Kristofer Kearney

A self described ‘British fascist’ has admitted that he shared terrorist documents on a Telegram channel and now faces a lengthy jail term. Gym fanatic Kristopher Kearney was arrested and extradited from Alicante in Spain where he was running the social media channel under the nickname Charlie Big Potatoes. Kearney had shared the manifestos of mass killers including Norwegian Anders Breivik and also shared posts encouraging violence against black people, Jews and Muslims. Nicola is joined by journalist Chris Summers who was in the Old Bailey where Kearney pleaded guilty and later took to the stand to defend his beliefs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 296: The arrest of senior Kinahan cartel member Liam Byrne

Kinahan Cartel kingpin Liam Byrne has been arrested on the holiday island of Majorca after slipping home from Dubai to meet his family. The 42 year old is wanted in the UK on serious firearms and organised crime offences and will face extradition to the courts there. The arrest comes after his lengthy career at the very top of the criminal ladder and marks the final blow to the once powerful Dublin branch of the Kinahan Cartel. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about the breaking news story about Liam Byrne's arrest and about his long history in violent crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 295: The life and crimes of 'Border Fox' Dessie O'Hare

He is a convicted terrorist and a self professed killer involved in up to 27 murders but 'Border Fox' Dessie O’Hare is also a devoted husband who practices yoga, prays to Our Lady and meditates every day. So who is this complex character who runs one of the landings in the notorious Portlaoise Jail where he is serving a sentence for attempted kidnap and extortion and how can he manage to show to extreme faces to the world? Nicola is joined by journalist Eamon Dillon to talk about the life, crimes and the oddities of Ireland’s most ruthless terrorist. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 294: Phillip Schofield's sex scandal and the TV stars 'cancelled' by online hounds

It’s the sex scandal that has rocked ITV and pitted two powerful presenters against a former colleague as allegations of Phillip Schofield’s relationship with a young male he first met aged 15 have been confirmed. This week as the This Morning affair deepened Schofield insisted he committed no crime and didn’t groom the teen, only beginning a relationship with him when he was 19 years old. Former colleagues Eamon Holmes and Dan Wootton however say that Schofield is ‘deluded’ or ‘lying’ and insisted a full investigation must get underway. Nicola and Niall are joined by Sunday World Features Editor Daragh Keany about the sensational fallout from behind the scenes at Britain's most popular chat show, about the narcissistic antics of some of the small screens biggest stars and about the crimes that are often exposed by cancel culture pile-ons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 293: The Kinahans and their links to the Iranian island of Kish

A tiny Iranian island known as the Pearl of the Persian Gulf has been identified as a hub for Kinahan dirty money and is where America’s Drug Enforcement Agency believe that their drug funds made their way into the hands of Hezbollah. Kish Island is part of Iran but it is also a free trade zone with lax banking practices making it attractive to the top end of organised crime. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about Kish and it’s links to the Kinahan organisation and we discuss the changing face of Daniel Kinahan from Oliver Bond schoolboy to international drug don with a hankering for home. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 292: DCI John Caldwell - seven men appear in court charged with attempted murder

Evidence heard during the first court appearance of seven men charged with the attempted murder of DCI John Caldwell in Tyrone last February show a complex enterprise to kill which was more personal than political. A Special sitting of Dungannon Magistrates Court this week heard how the thread between the men was that each had something against Mr Caldwell who has been investigating serious crime in Northern Ireland despite the fact the New IRA have claimed the shooting as a political statement. Nicola is joined by Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris to discuss the bail hearings of the group who cross the religious and political divide but who a court heard came together as each had a personal gripe with he senior police officer and his work. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 291: Trucker Thomas Maher and his greedy European drug ring

King of the Road Thomas Maher was handed down 14 years in prison when he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering offences after messages on his phone led police and Gardai to his supply chain which transported drugs across Europe and cash into the hands of the drug dealers. But the County Offaly trucker was dealt a further blow this week when he was ordered to pay more than €720,000 to the UK exchequer after a Proceeds of Crime Case was heard at Liverpool Crown Court in which a confiscation order was made for his house in Warrington, cars, lorries, jewellery, a number of high value watches, artwork and gold ingots bought in Dubai. Nicola is joined by Niall Donald to talk about the greedy trucker who thought he had it all but who has been left counting the costs of his life of crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 290: Mexico's narco state - corruption, guns and the Fentanyl crisis

Mexican based author Ioan Grillo has worked as a crime journalist for more than 20 years in a country that is a true narco state. Over two decades interviewing drug users, hitmen, cartel bosses and the politicians who take their money, Grillo has formed a unique view on the war on drugs and all the issues around it’s failings. As a new edition of his book Blood Gun Money is published. Ioan is talking to Nicola and Niall Donald about fentanyl, a lethal iron river of firearms and a senior politician in the dock in a most unusual trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 289: Gardaí set to interview Kinahan ally turned state witness Raffaele Imperiale

Gardaí have officially joined the queue in a bid to talk with Italian super cartel member Raffaele Imperiale who spent years in business with mob boss Daniel Kinahan. Officers from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau have formally linked up with Italy's Anti Mafia Investigation Directorate and hope to be able to use information from supergrass Imperiale in future trials. Nicola speaks with journalist Eamon Dillon about the developments in the case against Kinahan and his cohorts, and about just what it means for Ireland to have a place in the line of law enforcement executives interested in what Imperiale has to say. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 288: Could you tell if you were living next door to a serial killer?

SERIAL killers are one of the most fascinating and spoken about facets of the true crime genre. But what makes a murderer and why are we so interested in their dark and twisted minds? Crime World's Clodagh Meaney talks to psychologist and crime commentator Emma Kenny about what makes a serial killer, what victims they prefer and her brand new live show The Serial Killer Next Door. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 287: The true story behind the sensational 'Headless Body in Topless Bar' tabloid headline

IT was the headline that vent viral 1983 style, inspired the movies and is being celebrated by old school tabloid hacks across the world 40 years on. "Headless Body in Topless Bar" was penned by the legendary New York Post editor Vincent Musetto after a cocaine fuelled crime spree by criminal Charles Dingle. Nicola is joined by journalist Brad Hunter, formerly of the New York Post, about the headline and the gruesome story behind it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 286: Fat Freddie Thompson's bust up behind bars and who's who in Portlaoise Prison

Ireland’s most secure prison is a melting pot of some of the most dangerous, notorious and difficult inmates where each landing is ruled by a top dog and where official and underworld rules apply. But troublemakers in the real world don’t change behind bars as killer Fat Freddie Thompson has proved in recent weeks with his volatile behaviour and ability to fall out with family and friends. But who else is a prominent figure at Portlaoise Prison and what is their role on the various wings? Nicola's joined by Niall Donald to talk about the Turkish heroin dealer whose risen through the ranks of influential prisoners, of the television seizures that have pitted Thompson against his fellow lags and about the punishment wing. We will also talk with journalist Chris Summers in London about the passport scam that have landed three senior Cartel figures behind bars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 285: The tight security measures set for Katie Taylor's homecoming fight

THE weigh in is due to take place today for the big fight between homecoming hero Katie Taylor and her boxing rival Chantelle Cameron. The ticket only event is expected to be heavily secured and policed as will the fight night tomorrow as a direct response to the gangland events of February 2016 at the Regency Hotel during the Clash of the Clans weigh in. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about the spectre of Daniel Kinahan which still looms over boxing, the fallout for the sport and the hopes that national treasure Katie Taylor will claim victory and lay a fresh path of integrity for the future of her sport. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 284: The story of 'Doomsday Mother' Lori Vallow and husband Chad Daybell

THEY'RE the doomsday preppers who were arrested while on honeymoon in Hawaii. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell were wanted by police as their children Tylee and JJ had not been seen by family or friends in months. As concern among loved ones grew, Lori’s lies about where the 16 and 7 year old were spun out of control. After Lori was recently found guilty of murder. John Glatt, author of The Doomsday Mother speaks to Crime World’s Clodagh Meaney about their complicated family tree, the LDS church and what really happened to Tylee and JJ Vallow. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 283: Inside Barry Young's reign as a feared drug boss

GANG boss Barry Young ran a mob of 20 drug dealers and sent out enforcers to collect his debts in Sligo often smashing up homes for less than €500 owed. However, in his defence during a sentence hearing in the Special Criminal Court where he has pleaded guilty to directing a criminal gang, he says that he was the one wracked with anxiety as he sat atop a multi million euro drug operation. Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about how Young was caught with 22,000 what’s app messages discovered on his phone which gave a fascinating insight into how he ran his gang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 282: The sentencing of Regency getaway drivers Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy

THE jailing of Regency getaway men Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy for a total of 17.5 years brings to an end one chapter in the gangland story which has enthralled Ireland for more than seven years. With Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch settling down to life as a free man it would seem that it should be finally time to move on from the hotel shooting that marked a turning point in organised crime. But still the ripple effects from that day are being felt with the arrest this week of a Kinahan member for the murder of The Monk’s brother Eddie Hutch and the State now facing massive costs for it’s doomed decision to put the veteran criminal on trial for murder. Nicola talks to Niall Donald about encrypted phone messages, about hit-teams facing possible murder charges and about a freak accident with a scorching radiator. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 281: Julie Flood, Christina Anderson, and the insanity defence

THEY are the violent deaths that can leave shattered families struggling for answers afterwards. This month two high profile cases heard how insanity was used as a defence in separate shocking deaths. Julie Flood was found not guilty of her father's murder by reason of insanity while Christina Anderson was convicted of the manslaughter of Gareth Kelly by reason of diminished responsibility. But how does an Irish court assess insanity? And what factors are taken into account when coming to a decision. Niall Donald is joined by Crime World's Clodagh Meaney to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 280: Money laundering, criminal assets and how investigators follow the cash

ALMOST 100 years ago a team of untouchables brought down Al Capone following a trail of money that led right to the top of his crime empire. But today modern investigators are finding that the same techniques and proven investigation skills are as relevant now as back in the days of prohibition. From top tier criminals to their gangsters molls, countless drug dealers and traffickers are finding themselves in the dock for money laundering and the recent conviction and sentencing of Deirdre Brady, estranged wife of Mr Nobody, Declan Brady has proved that the women are no longer going to be left alone. Nicola chats to journalist Eamon Dillon about the increased appetite for money laundering charges, the top tier criminals being brought down by the one thing they can’t keep their hands off and how money, the very fuel of criminal enterprise, is now being turned on those whose insatiable greed will undoubtedly be their undoing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 279: Community justice, young offenders and preventing violent crime

SHE'S the former nurse and police officer who changed a city’s descent into violence by a mixture of understanding, compassion and getting up close and personal to criminals and would be offenders at their most vulnerable moments. Inspirational and brimming with positive energy, forensic psychologist, Karyn McCluskey is the head of Community Justice Scotland, a body of the Scottish Government responsible for reducing re-offending. Karyn joins Nicola to talk about her incredible work in her hometown of Glasgow which was once the most violent city in Europe but which is now enjoying a 42 year low in violent crime. She tells of the 1000 ways to help keep a young person out of trouble, of the benefits to their would be victims and of the role we can all play to prevent violent crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 278: The jailing of Ger Dundon and the murky murder of Robbie Lawlor

GER DUNDON was yesterday sentenced to 15 years for his role in a kidnap and extortion plot in the UK, in a hearing that shed some light on a tangled web of mobsters, killers and violent criminal gangs who were all closely linked to the murder of hitman Robbie Lawlor. Dundon stood alone for sentencing after being sent for trial with a group of men, including the late Cornelius Price, for the 10-day-long kidnap ordeal which saw two businessmen threatened over a debt they were told was owed to the murdered Belfast man Warren Crossan. Both Crossan and Dundon were arrested but released without charge when Lawlor was shot dead on a street in Ardoyne in April 2020, in a murder plot which has been described to a court as a classic double cross. Nicola Tallant chats with journalist Eamon Dillon about the complexities of the relationships between Irish criminal gangs on both sides of the border, on the significance of Dundon's jailing and about the trail that led him from Lawlor’s side to a ca…

Episode 277: Addicted Ireland - the nation's battle with cocaine, booze and betting

HE is the consultant psychiatrist with his finger on the pulse when it comes to alcohol abuse, cocaine use and gambling addictions. With an expertise in the use of medicine to help those trying to quit acute and dangerous habits, Professor Colin O’Gara says absolutely anyone is open to developing problematic addictions which could destroy their lives. Today, the head of addiction services at St John of God talks about how modern life, our traumatic past and our historic relationship with alcohol have all fed into an addicted Ireland. And he warns how with the use of cocaine, now normalised in every town across the country, a looming threat of a crack cocaine epidemic is never far away. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 276: Drug-debt intimidation and how a gangster is spreading fear from behind bars

HE is the notorious gangland killer currently serving a life sentence but is still spreading fear outside the prison walls. In February, convicted killer Christopher Dunne was caught with drugs after returning to Mountjoy Prison from a hospital visit. The drug seizure sparked a series of threats, as one of the country's most dangerous criminals demanded cash from Dunne for the drugs, and issued further threats to some of his associates outside the jail. Niall Donald speaks to Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy about the scourge of drug-debt intimidation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 275: The Regency fallout, the €1m 'Monk' bounty and the double-crossing republican spy

A €1 million bounty on the head of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, a down payment given to a terrorist to entice him to carry out the job and a vipers' nest of dissident Republicans identified in the aftermath of The Regency trial. Nicola Tallant is joined by Niall Donald to discuss the fallout from the trial of the century, the Monk’s 'not guilty' verdict and the MI5 spy who may have blown the whistle on his secret meetings in the North. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (Part 4: Trial of the Century)

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history? And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free? This is part four of a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (Part 3: Dublin underworld)

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history? And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free? This is part two of a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (Part 2: The education of a criminal)

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history? And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free? This is part two of a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch (Part 1: The double cross)

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history? And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free? This is a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 274: The Hutch Gang and the 'Dirty Dozen' behind the Regency hit

HE'S been cleared of murder charges in the Regency trial and has gone straight back into the bosom of his family in Dublin’s north inner city. But while the Hutch clan are celebrating the freedom of their elder Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch, they have been left with a stark warning from gardai and by a judgement in the Special Criminal Court. While the State could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that 'The Monk' was a shooter at the Regency, Justice Tara Burns did say that members of the Hutch gang had killed David Byrne and had come together to carry out the bloody attack. So, who are the Hutch group and who are the dirty dozen named in the course of the trial as being the Regency hit team. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the future of the Hutch Organised Crime Group and its top command. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 273: Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch walks free after Regency murder trial

GERRY ‘The Monk’ Hutch walked free from court an innocent man after being found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. After a dramatic end to proceedings and a sensational judgement that branded State witness Jonathan Dowdall a callous, base and violent criminal who lied repeatedly to the court, Hutch was told the case against him had not been proven. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about Justice Tara Burns' lengthy judgement at the Special Criminal Court after she and Judges Sarah Berkeley and Grainne Malone worked into the early hours, about the damning remarks relating to Dowdall’s entry to witness protection, and the questions that remain about what went on behind the scenes after he was charged with murder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 272: D-Day in Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's murder trial

GERRY ‘The Monk’ Hutch will learn his fate on Monday when three judges from the Special Criminal Court return with a verdict after his lengthy murder trial. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the veteran criminal, who faces either freedom or a life sentence behind bars. Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald revisit the evidence given at trial as the big day looms and the judges reveal whether they believe he is guilty or not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 271: What do Kerry locals think about the tragic case of Baby John?

IT'S a sensitive and tragic cold-case murder that has become part of the fabric of south Kerry. When five-day-old 'Baby John' washed up on a Kerry beach, his tiny body riddled with 28 stab wounds and his remains placed in a manure sack, nobody could have imagined how long it would take to solve the mystery of who he was. For almost 40 years, journalists and police suspected that the little boy must have been the product of incest or rape and speculated that a teenage mum may have given birth to him in secret. While some demanded justice for the child, many others believed the case should have been left to lie, and it was a regular occurrence that outsiders with questions to ask were made to feel distinctly unwelcome. So what has it been like for local reporters covering the case and what have they made of the recent developments that turned the spotlight on a well-known married couple, understood to be the parents of the child and who have vehemently denied his murder? Nicola Tallant s…

Episode 270: Super-cartel kingpin Ridouan Taghi and the final days of 'The Marengo trial'

THE Marengo case against super-cartel kingpin Ridouan Taghi is drawing to a close in the Netherlands, where state prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the feared gangster and a number of his senior lieutenants. Decrypted messages taken from a series of secretive phone networks used by criminals - including Encrochat and Ennetcom - have formed the backbone of the case and include evidence that Taghi ordered murders and drug shipments from his Dubai bolthole while partnered up with Daniel Kinahan. Nicola Tallant is joined by Jan Meeus, crime correspondent and podcaster with Amsterdam’s NRC media outlet, to discuss the Marengo trial, an appeal which may hear the first evidence of super-cartel supergrass Raffael Imperiale and an eerie calm that has settled in a country exhausted by narco terrorism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 269: One year on from the Kinahan's US sanctions - where are they now?

One year since the Kinahan Organised Crime Group were sanctioned by the US treasury, the bad news has continued for it’s exiled leaders in Dubai. Nicola talks to journalist Eamon Dillon about the dramatic arrests, shocking revelations and the complex takedown plan targeted on the Irish who are last of the Super Cartel still free in the United Arab Emirates. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 268: The Good Friday Agreement and Northern Ireland's current terror threat

IT'S the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement when a monumental task was achieved, and political divides agreed to peace in Northern Ireland. So what has that 67-page document meant for those living north of the border and for their futures, and can we ever really move on from such a bloody past? Nicola Tallant is joined by Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris about growing up in West Belfast, working the crime beat towards the end of the Troubles and being there for the momentous occasion 25 years ago when the impossible became a reality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 267: Mexican drug lord 'El Chapo', his legacy and the Sinaloa cartel

He is locked up in a Colorado jail with some of the world’s most notorious prisoners, but the legacy of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman lives on in a never ending cycle of violence and corruption in Mexico. Since his incarceration his Sinaloa Cartel has continued to flood the US with drugs and terrorise the Mexican people from it’s base in Culiacan. Now with his chief bodyguard and right hand man handed over to the US and his son Ovidio Guzman finally arrested after a gun battle with Mexican military which resulted in the death of 29 people will things improve. Or is Mexico gone beyond being saved from the revelations of political corruption that have dogged each success. Nicola Tallant is joined by author Doug Century, whose book Hunting El Chapo, tells the story of the drug boss known as ‘Shorty’ and his on going influence on his homeland of Mexico. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 266: The FBI's secret files on Frank Sinatra and his ties to the Mafia

Frank Sinatra or Ol' Blue Eyes as he was known was one of the most popular entertainers in the 1940s and 50s. A singer, an actor and a member of the famous Rat Pack, the New Jersey-born, bobby soxxer was also moonlighting as an associate of the mafia. Crime World's Clodagh Meaney talks to Douglas Thompson and Mike Rothmiller about their explosive new book Frank Sinatra and the Mafia Murders. They tell Crime World about the shocking revelations in the hundreds of pages of files kept by the FBI, the mafia’s influence on Hollywood and how Sinatra’s relationship with the mob was mutually beneficial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 265: Probation and Parole - How criminals are managed in the community after being released from prison

He has dedicated his life to working with those in crisis and Vivian Geiran, the former Director of the Probation and Parole service of Ireland, has had to manage the supervision of hundreds of criminals released from jail. So how do you manage a killer in the community or balance the rights of those who are guilty with those of their victims? Nicola Tallant is joined by Vivian to chat about his lengthy career, his thoughts on managing offenders and life after crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 264: The sentencing of serial sex offender and former promising jockey Maurice Fitzgerald

SERIAL sex offender Maurice Fitzgerald was jailed this week after he pleaded guilty to a shocking attack on a woman who he bound and gagged with duct tape and dragged down a city lane way. The former jockey had taken a train from Cork to Dublin and hunted for a victim in the capital's pubs - carrying a bag containing a change of clothing, condoms and three rolls of the tape which he later used to restrain his victim. Nicola and Niall Donald are joined by journalist and Crime World researcher Clodagh Meaney, who attended Fitzgerald’s sentence hearing where he was jailed for ten years. They discuss Fitzgerald’s terrifying history of crimes against women, his predatory actions in the run-up to his latest attack and about the observations of the normal looking 29-year-old. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD: Why DNA evidence could solve the 'Kerry Baby' murder case (Repost)

The shock arrest of a man and a woman by officers investigating the case of the Kerry Baby could bring to an end the mystery of who the parents of the child are. But however Baby John came to wash up on a beach with multiple stab wounds remains a mystery. This week Crime World reposts an interview with journalist Ralph Regal when it was announced that DNA would solve the crime and which details the almost 40 year case and its twists and turns. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 263: How the old school mafia are surviving in a modern world

They were once the most powerful force in America, bigger than General Motors and with a finger in every pie from politics to prostitution. But what has become of the Mafia and its old school criminal code? Is it a dying force? Has the mafia peaked or has it hit a comfortable plateau in a new world order where stringent Racketeering Laws keeps all criminality at bay? Nicola Tallant talks to Toronto Sun mafia expert and former New York Post crime correspondent Brad Hunter about the past and the future of the legendary Cosa Nostra. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 262: Katie Taylor's homecoming bout and why it could be overshadowed by the spectre of exiled Daniel Kinahan

Boxing champion Katie Taylor is building up for a homecoming in Dublin in May in the 3 Arena. But behind the scenes characters who once surrounded and defended mob boss Daniel Kinahan are lurking. Boxer trainer Jamie Moore and others who had previous ties to MTK boxing, which Kinahan founded, will be in the ring and ringside for the event. So has boxing washed itself clean of organised crime or will Taylor big night be overshadowed by the exiled Daniel Kinahan? Nicola Tallant is joined by Niall Donald to discuss. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 261: Could killer Patrick Quirke face re-trial for the murder of Mr Moonlight Bobby Ryan?

Killer Patrick Quirke was celebrating a Supreme Court victory this week that could potentially see him re-tried for the murder of Mr Moonlight Bobby Ryan. The Tipperary farmer who weaved a tangled web of sex, betrayal and murder was told that a warrant used to trawl searches on his computer was unlawful and that key evidence may have to be reviewed. Nicola Tallant is joined by Niall Donald and Eamon Dillon to chat about the Mr Moonlight saga and another court outing for the shamed socialite Marcus Sweeney who will hand over a controversial field to the Criminal Assets Bureau early next month. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 260: The two faces of INLA enforcer Gerard Mackin

New INLA enforcer Gerard Mackin is behind bars cosying up with Kinahan Cartel leaders in Portlaoise Jail as he awaits sentence for money laundering. The brutal enforcer whose career in terror goes all the way back to his early 20s is a violent figure who once crucified a man with a nail gun. But on his days off he loves nothing than posing for family pictures with his long term partner and child. So what is behind the two faces of Mackin and what is he likely to do next? Nicola Tallant chats with journalist Eamon Dillon about the paramilitary hard man who has used the guise of the INLA to work with criminal gangs across the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 259: The capital murder trials of convicted Garda killer Stephen Silver

Killer Stephen Silver will be sentenced to 40 years behind bars when he next appears before the Special Criminal Court where victim impact statements from the family of Garda Colm Horkan are expected to be read. Silver, who is 46, will not even be eligible to apply for parole for 30 years after he was found guilty of the capitol murder of the Garda who he shot dead in cold blood in Roscommon in June 2020. Nicola Tallant talks to courts reporter Eoin Reynolds about the two trials that heard details of Silver’s psychiatric history and of the medical evidence that convinced a jury that on the night he murdered innocent Garda Horkan that he was bad and not mad. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 258: The new sanctions on Edin Gacanin and the ongoing global effort to take down the Kinahan cartel

Almost a year since the dramatic US sanctions of the Kinahan Organisation and its leadership, Bosnian mob boss Edin Gacanin has now been named alongside the Irish mob as a business partner under the same financial restrictions. Gacinin, who’s the boss of the feared Tito and Dino Cartel, is originally from Sarajevo but lived most of his life in the Netherlands. His outfit formed part of the so-called European Super Cartel, headed up by Daniel Kinahan. So what does it mean and what affect are the sanctions having 12 months on? Will the United Arab Emirates ever hand up Daniel Kinahan, his father Christy Snr and brother Christopher Junior? And why is his right-hand man Sean McGovern still living freely in Dubai despite a warrant issued here for him on murder charges? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the international effort to dismantle a trans-global cartel and the progress being made across the world against Ireland’s most-prolific organised crime group. See omnystudio.…

Episode 257: How mob boss Barry Young was busted by 16,000 WhatsApp messages

MOB boss Barry Young has pleaded guilty to directing a criminal organisation - a charge which can carry up to life imprisonment. A massive 16,000 text messages taken from WhatsApp were among key evidence against him, which will be heard during sentencing. But while the 37-year-old Sligo gangster is undoubtedly facing a jail term, is he really just a shrewd businessman who knows that doing porridge is part of the game? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the most-prolific crime boss in the north-east who has carefully built an extensive drug operation on a mixture of cunning and good fortune, but whose luck has finally run out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD: The secret service spooks and the White House love affair with Ireland (Repost)

They are the black-suited operatives whose role is to protect the President of the United States - and if Joe Biden’s plans to visit Ireland this summer come to pass they will be crawling around the highways and byways of the country to make safe his passage. But the Secret Service are no strangers to Ireland, and they have had a few bemusing encounters here in the past in scenes which would often be at home in an episode of Father Ted. Now, in her new book The Green and White House, journalist Lynne Kelleher brings together the incredible stories around the seemingly seamless visits of US leaders to their ancestral birthplaces in often rural outposts across Ireland. From the visits of Richard Nixon to Barack Obama, she tells about the hilarious run-ins of the secret service agents with bemused locals from Ballyporeen to Timahoe, the Aran cardigan which was almost central to a controlled explosion and a chatty hotel manager whose wry joke nearly sparked a major security scare. See o…

Episode 256: Douglas Glynn - the mystery man who managed the Kinahan Cartel

THE Kinahan Organised Crime Group were dealt another blow last week when a court heard that a breakthrough in encryption-cracking technology had led gardai to the gang's top commander in Dublin and his drugs and weapons storehouse. Douglas Glynn, already serving a six-and-a-half year sentence for his role in a plot to kill, pleaded guilty to ammunition and drug charges after the garda search of a lock-up he was operating at the height of the Kinahan-Hutch feud. Messages uncovered on an unidentified encrypted phone were cited in court, as read by officers involved in the investigation of serious organised crime. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the previously unknown Glynn and his role as the Kinahans' logistic man in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 255: The scandals, scams and secret life of killer attorney Alex Murdaugh

SHAMED attorney Alex Murdaugh is beginning two life sentences in the US after being found guilty of the murders of his wife Maggie and his son Paul. But while preparing to appeal the verdict, he's also facing an avalanche of further investigations into fraud, deceit and two suspicious deaths. The wealthy heir to a legal dynasty in South Carolina denied the murders, but State prosecutors say he killed his family to deflect from a massive financial probe into millions of dollars in missing money, compensation awards and insurance scams. The opiate-addicted Murdaugh insisted that he was visiting his mother when his wife and son were brutally killed at the family hunting lodge in 2021, but a phone and a social media video placed him at the scene of the crime. After a sensational trial, he now faces trial by media, as a collection of alleged victims of sexual assaults, financial impropriety and violent attacks line up to tell their stories. Nicola Tallant chats with crime journalist Brad Hu…

Episode 254: Cornelius Price and the flashy funeral rituals of gangland's hard-men

THE funeral of gangland hard-man Cornelius Price took place in the UK this week, complete with three Lamborghinis to lead the cortège, floral tributes of guns, chainsaws and one curious front page of the Sunday World. Beloved by his family, ‘Nailyboy’ - who is suspected of being involved in at least four murders, kidnaps and the brutal torture of members his own mob - Price was laid to rest in the style of a true mafia boss. So, what was the point of his extravagant funeral and others like it where limousines, outriders and pipers lead mourners and dead gangsters are buried in gold caskets surrounded by memories of their ill-gotten gains? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald and Eamon Dillon about the showy gangster funerals that are fast becoming the norm, about the burial chambers fitted with Wi-Fi and the air-conditioned tombs for the fallen hard-men of the underworld. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 253: The life and crimes of Limerick mob boss Christy Keane

A 30 year old nephew of gang boss Christy Keane tried to convince a court that 580 euro worth of cocaine and 1300 in cash along with two mobile phones was for his own use at a family wedding in plush the Bunratty Castle in Limerick. But his claims fell on deaf ears and he was convicted and sentenced to community service by Judge Mary Larkin who said she was absolutely satisfied that the cocaine was to sell. Keane whose father Pa was a brother of Christy and Kieran Keane is a sulky race enthusiast and has been photographed mixing with known members of his uncles mob. Nicola Tallant is joined by Eamon Dillon to talk about Christy Keane’s reclusive lifestyle, his survival despite years of feuds and numerous attempts on his life and his mobs love of the underground horse races which attract a whose who of the criminal underworld. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 252: How road rage killer Kenneth Noye became one of the UK's most infamous criminals

He remains one of the UK’s most written about criminals, an old school fence involved in the infamous Brinks Mat Robbery and who made his name after a sensational road rage incident which saw him go on the run for more than two years. Kenneth Noye was notorious a number of times over and the complexities of his past had a tendency to catch up on him time and again. Now 75 and free from prison he has finally broken his silence and spoken for the first time in a new book by journalist Donal MacIntyre and writer Karl Hauman. Donal joins Nicola to chat about his book A Million Ways To Stay On The Run and the sensational story of one of Britain’s most famous killers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 251: Jim Mansfield Jnr and Marcus Sweeney - the Celtic boom buddies who ended up on the wrong side of the law

They were the two faces of Ireland’s Celtic Tiger boom, friends who partied hard with pretty models and had champagne by the bucket-load. Jim Mansfield Jnr and Marcus Sweeney mixed with high society and graced the celebrity gossip columns, but both hid dark secrets that have left them fighting for their reputations. As Mansfield Jnr tastes freedom for the first time since he was jailed in Portlaoise Prison for perverting the course of justice, and as Sweeney takes to social media after a damaging CAB case saw him linked to the notorious criminal gang 'The Family', Crime World chats with the journalist who has met both and asked them the hard questions. Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald, along with the Sunday Independent’s Niamh Horan, discuss the highs and lows of Ireland’s one-time elite playboys and their spectacular falls from grace. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 250: The new IRA and the attempted murder of PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell

A car has emerged as a key piece of evidence in the attempted murder of PSNI Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell after football training in Omaha last week - a callous shooting which has shocked all Ireland. The second hand Fiesta purchased in a private sale on February 8th was hidden in Belfast and then used by the gunmen who sprayed bullets at the officer after a training session for teenagers. Nicola Tallant speaks to Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris about the recruitment of young men into the New IRA which had been deemed a reduced terror threat in Northern Ireland before the attack. We discuss the group’s motive to kill, its use of propaganda and it’s intent to make policing Northern Ireland a thankless job. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 249: Inside the police files of Raffaele Imperiale and his links to Daniel Kinahan

Italian mob boss Raffaele Imperiale spent years living it up in Dubai and doing business with members of the so-called Super Cartel including Dutch drug baron Ridouan Taghi and Daniel Kinahan. But police hacks into encrypted phone networks made a bullet proof case against him for the Italians and now he has decided to co-operate to reduce his term in prison there. But what will Imperiale say and how many of Europe’s top crime bosses can he implicate? Dr Anna Sergi, an Organised Crime Professor at the University of Essex, has read the prosecution files against Imperiale and she says that while they concentrate on huge movements of cocaine into Italy and the Netherlands they also mention an Irish business partnership focussed on Rotterdam port. Nicola Tallant speaks to Dr Sergi about Imperiale and the threat he now poses to a litany of top tier drug gangs across the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 248: The Murdaugh family and their twisted story of murder and lies

It’s the case that is fascinating America. A multi millionaire lawyer from a prominent legal dynasty reports finding his wife and son dead on the grounds of their isolated hunting lodge. Both have been shot. A police investigation finds him the suspect and a web of lies, fraud and deceit unravels as famous South Carolina personal injury attorney Alex Murdaugh is charged with the murders. Nicola speaks with crime journalist Brad Hunter about the incredible chain of events that officials say led to the Murdaugh family murders. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 247: The real-life stories behind Ireland's 'Narco' boom

DUBLIN was a city of grinding poverty, mass unemployment and a never-ending queue of young people seeking a future abroad when the heroin epidemic hit with catastrophic force. Later, as the city transformed in the 1990s into a vibrant capital, ecstasy took over as the drug of choice and, later, a cocaine goldrush followed. But, as street dealers became millionaires during five decades of drug abuse, what happened to those caught up in the party? This week, as Sky Documentaries begins its Dublin Narco series, we chat with two people who became part of that incredible story. Jessica Wade went from ecstasy dealer to chronic addict and drug mule, only to get sober and devote her life to working in addiction services. While one of the city’s first heroin users, Paul Tracey, spent 37 years on the drug before finally getting clean. Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald chat with Jessica and Paul, who will both appear on the series to be screened from March 4, about their own real-life experiences…

Episode 246: Conor McGregor and the childhood friendships with Irish gangland figures

He was the shadowy Cartel lieutenant who was rumoured to be out to get UFC star Conor McGregor after a pub brawl at the height of the Kinahan and Hutch feud. But convicted drug dealer Graham ‘The Wig’ Whelan was this week welcomed into McGregor’s pub and into this family when he was introduced as the new partner of the sports stars sister Aoife. Nicola Tallant talks to Niall Donald about Conor McGregor and the mob and the childhood friendships which link the world famous fighter with some of the most prominent gangland figures in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 245: The life and brutal crimes of gang boss Cornelius Price

HE was a terrifying gangland mob boss who ran his empire from a gated compound in County Meath, where he is alleged to have held slaves and forced them to do his bidding. Amongst a litany of terrible crimes, he is suspected of murdering a young man and his pregnant girlfriend, cremating their bodies and then directing a campaign of intimidation on their grieving families. When he made a smug 'selfie' video to celebrate the gruesome killing of gangland hardman Robbie Lawlor, Price almost claimed the credit for the murder. But the tables would turn on the 41-year-old thug, and this week he died in a Welsh hospital after suffering a catastrophic brain illness. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the claims that Price became a born-again Christian before he died, about denials from the model Katie Price that they were related and about the hell-raising career of one of Ireland’s most feared killers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 244: How British mobster Robert Dawes became a pied piper for a generation of Dubai-based criminals

BRITISH drug baron Robert Dawes became known as the pathfinder for a generation of criminals, including the Kinahan Cartel, when he was one of the first to make Dubai his home and the headquarters of his trans-global empire. Ancient money transfer systems, a blind eye to suitcases of cash and easily attained residential permits all added to the attraction of the United Arab Emirates for Dawes and the countless other drug dealers that followed him to the Gulf paradise But the 55-year-old has found that not everything is fool-proof and that the past can have a sneaky way of creeping up on you. Nicola Tallant chats with journalist and author Carl Fellstrom about the incredible story of Dawes, who is now standing trial in a French court along with his lawyers, who say he tricked them into producing a false document to a drugs trial. Jailed for 22 years for cocaine smuggling, he now faces further imprisonment in France while authorities in the Netherlands are now lining up to try him for mu…

Episode 243: The return of the Dundons and the secret property portfolio of Kinahan mobster Ross Browning

RAIDS on the homes of notorious crime brothers, the discovery of a cocaine mixing factory and the seizure of a home and equestrian facility owned by a Cartel odd bod - welcome to Crime World. Today Nicola Tallant is chatting with Niall Donald and Eamon Dillon about the Dundon brothers' comeback, Ross Browning's property portfolio and the far-right celebrity hanging out with a convicted criminal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 242: The downfall of 'Otoniel' the world's biggest cocaine dealer

He's the Colombian narco who rose from humble origins to become the biggest wholesaler of cocaine in the world. Dairo Antonio Usuga, better known by his nickname, Otoniel, used torture and murder to rise to the top of the feared Gulf Clan Cartel, but he cut a different figure earlier this month when he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking in a New York court and agreed to hand over $216 million in reparations. Niall Donald chats with Toby Muse, author of 'Kilo: Inside the Cocaine Cartels', about the demise of Otoniel and the impact it will have on the coke trade. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 241: When victims of crime come face to face with their offenders

VICTIMS of crime can often feel forgotten in the process of justice, but what benefits are there to bring them together with an offender? Nicola Tallant talks with Dr Ian Marder from Maynooth University about restorative justice and it’s meaning for the victims of crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 240: Gilbert King on the shocking murder of Michelle Scholfield and the new evidence which puts a convicted murderer at the scene of the crime

When Gilbert King was asked by a Judge to look into a case of wrongful conviction he was shocked by the request and intrigued by the story. Michelle Scholfield was murdered in 1987, and her husband Leo, who protests his innocence, has remained behind bars for the crime ever since. In King's new podcast series Bone Valley, he looks at the trial which put Schofield behind bars, shocking new evidence which puts a convicted murderer at the scene of the crime and the tragic murder of a young woman. I'm Clodagh Meaney and this is crime world a podcast from SundayWorld.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 239: How the cocaine boom means crime gangs now pose as big a threat in the EU as terrorism

Organised crime is now posing as big a threat to countries in the EU as terrorism a commissioner warned this week. And as criminals including Irish Godfather George 'the Penguin' Mitchell are left reeling after another major encrypted phone hack it seems like police are fighting fire with fire as the battle against the mobs heats up. This week on Crime World’s weekend show I’m joined by my colleague Niall Donald and journalist Carl Fellstrom to discuss the cartels' intent on turning Europe into a Wild West. This is crime world a podcast from SundayWorld.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 238: How George 'the Penguin' Mitchell's encrypted phone network was smashed by European cops

He is Ireland’s most wily Godfather of Crime - a criminal so slippery he has managed to evade the law for decades while rising to the very top of Europe’s underworld. But has a phone been the undoing of George ‘The Penguin’ MItchell, or will he waddle away from the clutches of law enforcement yet again. This week I’m talking to Niall Donald about the massive police hack of the 'Exclu' encrypted network closely linked with Mitchell, about the underground bunker where it was developed and about the possible fallout of the hack for the world's largest criminal organisations. This is crime world a podcast from SundayWorld.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 237: Kinahan cartel money man Brian Mahony's rise and fall at the hands of Criminal Assets Bureau

He’s the Kinahan fixer who decked out his house with Plasma screens and bullet-resistant glass, but now Brian Mahony has gone and the keys of his palace are with the Criminal Assets Bureau. After climbing the career ladder in the mob, Mahony has now given up his assets without a fight and a community will soon see a for sale sign outside what was once the best-kept house in the neighbourhood. Today I’m talking with journalist Eamon Dillon about the low-key fixer who tried to stay under the radar as he washed drug money but who came a cropper as he feathered his nest and lived the high life in organised crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 236: Canada's cult-like leader who is brain-washing her followers to believe she is taking over the world

She is the self-declared Queen of Canada whose followers drive in giant motor homes through towns and sleepy villages spreading her word. Filipina Romana Didulo is a QAnon influencer with a little known past that has convinced tens of thousands of Canadians that they don’t have to abide by laws, get vaccinated or even pay their mortgages. To the lilts of the Boney M song Rasputin she travels the country in her disco RV and whips up crowds who believe that the world is being led by Satan worshiping paedophiles who control government, big business and the mainstream media. But is Didulo to be laughed at or does Canada need to sit up and take notice of a cult leader whose followers are gullible to anything she says? Today I’m talking with Toronto Sun crime columnist Brad Hunter about the tiny woman on the self-made throne with the huge ideas about taking over the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Epiosde 235: Death on the tracks - the mystery of the Irish teen chased to his death on a railway line

THE death of a 14-year-old boy in the Northern Ireland seaside town of Portrush has long been a mystery, and has posed a myriad of painful questions for his family. Ryan Quinn suffered a horrendous end when he got stuck in a cattle grid on a dark January night in 2009 as a train hurtled towards the frightened teenager. But what appeared to be a tragic accident would soon become a murder case when allegations that Ryan had been attacked and chased onto the railway emerged. Now, BBC journalist Vinny Hurrell has launched a new podcast in an attempt to break the Omerta that has been held sacred in a small community group for over a decade. On his new podcast 'Assume Nothing: Death on the Tracks', Hurrell painstakingly retraces the teenager's steps and discovers the suspects identified by the PSNI in the unusual case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 234: The Irish mob who became Canada's cocaine kings

THEY are the crime gang who took control of Canada's lucrative cocaine trade while proudly displaying their Irish roots. The West End mob began their life as a prolific bank heist crew who traded on their status as outsiders in French speaking Montreal. But, when they struck a deal with Colombia's Cali Cartel the Irish mob became Canada's kings of coke. Niall Donald chats with Toronto Sun journalist Brad Hunter and Sunday World's Eamon Dillon about the rise and fall of The West End Gang. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 233: Robbie Lawlor and the cross-Border vigilante murder mob

THE murder of Robbie Lawlor in a Belfast housing estate continues to be the subject of a major police inquiry, with the PSNI and prosecutors insisting they have no interest in a suspected Dundon hit team named and identified during a recent bail hearing. The circumstances surrounding the 2020 assassination of the notorious Dublin drug dealer marks an extraordinary merging of North and South criminals who once would have remained in their own territories on either side of the Border. Nicola Tallant chats with Belfast Telegraph crime correspondent Allison Morris about the changing face of gangland, about a double-cross of epic proportions and the peculiar actions of the PSNI and Gardai in the days after the murder that suggest the two forces have issues in co-operation and the criminals do not. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 232: Keane Mulready-Woods and the men who helped facilitate his grisly murder

Paul Crosby and Gerard Cruise had to listen to the tragic victim impact statement of Elizabeth Mulready, mum of murdered teen Keane Mulready-Woods, as she told a court this week how inconceivable it was that the sadistic minds of those who killed her child could have lived amongst her community. Details of the murder and dismemberment of the 17-year-old were heard during a sentence hearing for the pair. Both 27-year-old Crosby and 49-year-old Cruise pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder which was carried out by the late Robbie Lawlor. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the shocking murder that made global headlines, about the background of the pair in the dock and about a cycle of violence that ended in an unforgivable act of depravity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 232: Keane Mulready-Woods and the men who helped facilitate his gruesome murder

Paul Crosby and Gerard Cruise had to listen to the tragic victim impact statement of Elizabeth Mulready, mum of murdered teen Keane Mulready-Woods, as she told a court this week how inconceivable it was that the sadistic minds of those who killed her child could have lived amongst her community. Details of the murder and dismemberment of the 17-year-old were heard during a sentence hearing for the pair. Both 27-year-old Crosby and 49-year-old Cruise pleaded guilty to facilitating the murder which was carried out by the late Robbie Lawlor. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the shocking murder that made global headlines, about the background of the pair in the dock and about a cycle of violence that ended in an unforgivable act of depravity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 231: 'The day I witnessed the Regency Hotel murder and the gunman in drag'

SEVEN years ago this week journalist Alan Sherry was sent on a news assignment like no other - and on an otherwise ordinary Friday, he found himself in the middle of the Regency Hotel gun attack. Today, Alan gives Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald an eyewitness account of the infamous incident at the centre of the trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch. The panel also discuss the conviction of a member of a Cornelius Price kidnap gang for conspiracy to blackmail two businessmen and the plot which links the mob boss with the murder of Robbie Lawlor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 230: April D-Day for Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch in Regency murder trial

AFTER 54 days at the Special Criminal Court the Regency murder trial came to an end with a verdict promised by April 17. Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch will remain in custody as three Judges retire to consider the case against him for murder, while co-accused Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy were told they could remain on bail. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald to discuss the closing statements made by defence barristers for Bonney and Murphy, who both say the State has failed to prove its cases against their clients beyond reasonable doubt. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 229: Innocent or guilty? The dramatic closing arguments in the Gerry Hutch murder trial

THE case for and against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch closed today with the prosecution and defence addressing the court for a final time. The State have concluded that The Monk was one of two fake gunmen who shot David Byrne, while his side say he is an innocent man and there is no evidence to prove his guilt. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the two arguments and the judges who now have to decide his fate. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 228: The final days of the Gerry Hutch murder trial

LAWYERS at the Regency trial will enter the final stretch tomorrow when the closing speeches to the three-judge panel at the Special Criminal Court get underway. Just one of the three accused, Jason Bonney, has produced defence witnesses, whose testimony put into question the State's case that he was the driver of a black BMW jeep used on February 5, 2016. Lawyers for the State have suggested to one alibi witness that she has lied to the court, a charge she denies. A second witness who knew Jason Bonney and his father, William, has placed the older man behind the wheel of the jeep at 2.30pm that afternoon. He has yet to be cross examined. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the trial and what the coming days have in store. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 227: The dramatic capture of mafia 'boss of bosses' Matteo Messina Denaro

HE was the notorious Cosa Nostra boss who lived in hiding for 30 years and who was responsible for terrorist atrocities against Italy. Matteo Messina Denaro was amongst a group of violent mafia bosses who hit back at Italian magistrates, their families and body guards with lethal bomb attacks during the early 1990s when the brave judges took on the notorious criminal organisation. For decades, he was hunted to no avail, but this month he was dramatically arrested in Palermo as he made his way to a cancer clinic. So who is Denaro and what is the significance of his arrest for the people of Sicily and southern Italy? Nicola Tallant chats with Dr Anna Sergi, a Professor of criminology and organised crime at the University of Essex, the author of a number of books about the mob, including her latest 'Chasing the Mafia'. She describes Denaro's background, his violent life, his incredible capture and the secrets he may take to his grave. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 226: Marcus Sweeney - The celtic tiger playboy who became a target for the Criminal Assets Bureau

CELTIC tiger businessman Marcus Sweeney once appeared to be the man who had everything - successful investment interests, a fast car and Ireland's most-beautiful model on his arm. But this week, his final facade of respectability fell when a Judge described him as “up to his oxters’ in organised crime. From his heyday as a Dublin restaurateur and partner of tragic Katy French to money laundering for heroin gangs like 'The Family', the fall of Sweeney was completed during a damning CAB case this week. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World colleagues Niall Donald and Eamon Dillon as they discuss the Bureau cases against Sweeney, mob boss Owen Maguire and others. The panel also catch up on what has been happening as the State completes its case against Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 225: The life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green (Part 3)

HE was an A-list star of the criminal underworld, a gangster so wily that he travelled the world amassing a £100million fortune and died not from a bullet, but from his love of a sun-kissed tan. Dubbed 'The Pimpernel' for his ability to evade the law, Mickey Green's life as a mobster - which spanned an incredible five decades - personifies the changing face of organised crime. From the Costa del crime to California, from the rolling hills of Colombia to the rugged Irish countryside, he travelled the globe negotiating drug deals, VAT scams and sensational robberies. Nicola Tallant presents part three of a three-part Crime World special on the life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 224: The shocking murder of mum-to-be Natalie McNally

A SHOCKING murder in Lurgan, Co Armagh leaves a pregnant woman dead, a family devastated and a community in fear of a killer on the loose. So, what happened in the home of Natalie McNally just days before Christmas when she was stabbed to death despite being 15 weeks pregnant? Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Ciaran O’Neill who has been covering her murder and following developments that have seen a number of arrests but nobody charged in the ongoing investigation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 223: The life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green (Part 2)

HE was an A-list star of the criminal underworld, a gangster so wily that he travelled the world amassing a £100million fortune and died not from a bullet, but from his love of a sun-kissed tan. Dubbed 'The Pimpernel' for his ability to evade the law, Mickey Green's life as a mobster - which spanned an incredible five decades - personifies the changing face of organised crime. From the Costa del crime to California, from the rolling hills of Colombia to the rugged Irish countryside, he travelled the globe negotiating drug deals, VAT scams and sensational robberies. Nicola Tallant presents part two of a three-part Crime World special on the life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 222: The life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green (Part 1)

HE was an A-list star of the criminal underworld, a gangster so wily that he travelled the world amassing a £100million fortune and died not from a bullet, but from his love of a sun-kissed tan. Dubbed 'The Pimpernel' for his ability to evade the law, Mickey Green's life as a mobster - which spanned an incredible five decades - personifies the changing face of organised crime. From the Costa del crime to California, from the rolling hills of Colombia to the rugged Irish countryside, he travelled the globe negotiating drug deals, VAT scams and sensational robberies. Nicola Tallant presents a three-part Crime World special on the life and crimes of perma-tanned mobster Mickey Green. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 221: The second coming of gangland boss Brian 'King Ratt' Rattigan

BRIAN Rattigan has re-emerged as a significant crime figure following his release from Portlaoise Prison last year. The 42-year-old who led one side of the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud while still only a teenager has come of age behind bars, where he served 17 years and ruled the top security prison and is suspected of running a lucrative drug racket throughout his incarceration. Tattooed with the image of his murdered younger brother, Joey, and with deep connections to significant gangs across Ireland, he is now being monitored as a rising player in an unsteady underworld. But what will Rattigan do next? Will he avenge his beloved brother or turn his back on violence for a quieter life? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about 'King Ratt' and his re-positioning at the gangland table. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 220: Jailhouse shock as inmate 'confesses' to being the shooter in Regency Hotel murder

A JAILHOUSE confession by an inmate claiming that he was the Regency shooter - not Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch - was described as a ‘curious development’ in the murder trial by lawyers for the State who said they had disclosed a document to the defence. Crime World understands that the document is in fact a statement made by a convicted criminal to a prison boss in which he says the wrong man is currently in the dock. The peculiar development is not expected to derail the Regency trial, which the court heard will wrap up within two weeks - although the inmate's will have to be investigated. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the twists and turns of the high-profile trial, about the criminal who says 'The Monk' is an innocent man and about Jonathan Dowdall’s ongoing quest for sanctuary from his enemies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 219: The advances in DNA technology helping to solve the world's most-puzzling cold cases

ONE was a high-flying 22-year-old career girl whose father was a multi-millionaire, the other a recently-divorced mother of four who was a popular social worker caring for underprivileged kids. Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice suffered terrible deaths just months apart in the 1980s in the same Canadian neighbourhood, but for years nothing else connected their murders and no suspects were identified. But now, four decades on, the women have been intrinsically linked by one man who was arrested using the same DNA tests used to nab 'Golden State Killer', Joseph Di Angelo. Nicola Tallant talks with Toronto Sun journalist Brad Hunter about the incredible cold cases that Canadian authorities are beginning to solve thanks to advances in DNA and the rise in popularity of genealogical data bases. Brad reveals how the previously unknown Joseph George Sutherland, a 61-year-old with nothing but a few parking fines, will now stand trial for the murders of Tice and Gilmour, about the man identified as th…

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: The rise of 'The Gypsy King' Tyson Fury and his ties to Daniel Kinahan

He's the world heavyweight boxing champ who has just been refused entry to the US as a result of sanctions levelled against the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. So, just what are Tyson Fury's links to mob boss Daniel Kinahan and how far back does the relationship go back? Will the travel ban against Fury and other associates of the Irish mafia chief affect their boxing careers and futures prospects? Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World Deputy Editor, Niall Donald, about the rise of 'The Gypsy King' and the influence of Kinahan on his career and extraordinary comeback. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 218: The final stages of the Regency murder trial and what does 2023 have in store for the Kinahans?

THE trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch will resume this week after a lengthy Christmas break - before the three judges at the Special Criminal Court retire to consider their verdict. Today, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the key pieces of evidence against 'The Monk' and the state of play of the prosecution and defence. In an extraordinary 12 months for the embattled Kinahan organisation, the pair also discuss the difference a year can make and what 2023 will have in store for the key players in the mob. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: 'Predator' - Larry Murphy and Ireland's missing women (Part 3)

His name still strikes fear across Ireland - a hunter who stalked his prey in the heart of the area known as the vanishing triangle. But where is Larry Murphy now and why is he a suspect in the murder of teenager Deirdre Jacob and the mystery disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard and Annie McCarrick? Now, in a Crime World mini-series, we present 'Predator: Larrry Murphy and Ireland's missing women', a chilling true crime special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: 'Predator' - Larry Murphy and Ireland's missing women (Part 2)

His name still strikes fear across Ireland - a hunter who stalked his prey in the heart of the area known as the vanishing triangle. But where is Larry Murphy now and why is he a suspect in the murder of teenager Deirdre Jacob and the mystery disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard and Annie McCarrick? Now, in a Crime World mini-series, we present 'Predator: Larrry Murphy and Ireland's missing women', a chilling true crime special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: 'Predator' - Larry Murphy and Ireland's missing women (Part 1)

His name still strikes fear across Ireland - a hunter who stalked his prey in the heart of the area known as the vanishing triangle. But where is Larry Murphy now and why is he a suspect in the murder of teenager Deirdre Jacob and the mystery disappearance of Jo Jo Dullard and Annie McCarrick? Now, in a Crime World mini-series, we present 'Predator: Larrry Murphy and Ireland's missing women', a chilling true crime special. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: 'Mr Flashy' and Dublin's dirty gang war

When drug dealer James Whelan was gunned down in Finglas, north Dublin, two months ago gardai braced themselves for an explosion of violence and tit-for-tat attacks. In recent weeks, the home of Whelan’s mother, Sonya, has been firebombed amidst 70 violent incidents linked to the feuding gangs, many of which are flagged on social media postings. But is this Finglas feud the future of gangland wars or is it part of the fallout of the collapse of the Kinahan empire where the so-called ‘Flashy’ gang once held a prominent position of power? Nicola Tallant talks to Sunday World deputy Editor Niall Donald about the dirty warfare on the streets of a Dublin suburb and the consequences of it for policing drug mobs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 217: The MI6 spy and the 'man in the bag' mystery

His was a bizarre and macabre death which led to more questions than answers. Since the body of British spy Gareth Williams was found padlocked inside a sports bag in his flat in London, his death remains a mystery. But now journalist Jonathan Maitland and Vanessa Bowles have turned their attention to one of the most peculiar crime scenes in recent history. Was Williams assassinated by Russian secret services, killed by a secret lover or was his death a very tragic accident? Nicola Tallant is joined by Jonathan Maitland and researcher Anna Marie Robinson to discuss their new podcast 'Man in a Bag'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 216: The amateur super sleuths solving real-life crimes

WHO says you can’t solve crime in your spare time? Elderly armchair detectives with a penchant for puzzles are the inspiration for Richard Osman’s chart-topping 'Thursday Murder Club' novellas, but far from his pages of perfect prose there are groups of amateur sleuths who investigate gritty crimes in the hope of uncovering the truth. Clodagh Meaney talks with Nicola Stow, author of the 'Real Life Murder Clubs', about the people who have helped families to get justice for their loved ones. Nicola tells Crime World about the mother who caught her daughter’s killer, the two citizen investigators who 'liberated' dozens of files from a police station to help them track down the Golden State Killer and what happens when online sleuthing goes wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 215: The hunt for 'The Silver Killer' - the UK's mysterious serial murderer

CHESHIRE, England 1996, Howard Ainsworth violently bludgeoned his wife to death with a hammer before taking his own life. Three years later in the same town, Donald Ward beat his wife to death with a ceramic hot water bottle before using the shards of glass to take his own life. At least that’s what the police report concluded. In 2020, Cheshire coroner Stephanie Davies re-examined the deaths, and other similar cases, and concluded that they were not murder-suicides, but rather the work of an enigmatic serial killer who would go on to be dubbed 'The Silver Killer'. Today, journalist and author David Collins tells Crime World’s Clodagh Meaney about the inconsistent crime scenes, the report that rocked Cheshire police and the hunt for the serial killer you’ve never heard of. This episode is graphic in nature and discusses suicidal ideation, listener discretion is advised. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 3)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 2)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

BEST OF CRIME WORLD 2022: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 1)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

Episode 214: Jonathan Dowdall: I didn't suggest getting IRA to carry out hits on Kinahan mob (Day 7)

DAY seven of the cross examination of Jonathan Dowdall came to its conclusion, as it was put to him that he had a role in a botched gun attack on the Kinahan mob at the Red Cow Hotel months before the Regency, and that he was trading bombs for protection with dissident Republicans in the North. Dowdall continues to deny any wrongdoing, save for talking nonsense and taking tablets while under stress. Today, Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald as the Regency trial draws to a close for Christmas and a defiant Dowdall appeals his four-year sentence for facilitating the murder of David Byrne. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 213: Jonathan Dowdall denies planning 'mass murder' and 'planting bombs' (Day 6)

Jonathan Dowdall’s evidence to the Special Criminal Court is now centred on his own 10-hours of bugged conversation in a car with Gerry Hutch. Dowdall is flagging in the witness box after six gruelling days under cross examination, yet, he still manages to do battle with Brendan Grehan SC, Hutch’s defence barrister. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about 'mass murder, bomb making' and the '12 gang members' he says carried out the Regency. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 212: Why the takedown of 'Bomber' Kavanagh marked a major milestone in the war on crime

THE takedown of Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh can be directly linked to a decrease in the gangland murder rate in Ireland, the country's most-senior officer fighting organised crime has said. In a documentary to be shown on Virgin Media on Wednesday night, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland says Kavanagh was the most significant conviction in his 33 year career. Nicola Tallant chats with crime correspondent Stephen Breen about the Dublin criminal who rose to become the second most important figure in the Kinahan Cartel and who ruled through fear and murder for decades. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 211: The two faces of State witness Jonathan Dowdall (Day 5)

THE Special Criminal Court watched two faces of State witness Jonathan Dowdall during his fifth day under cross examination, as tapes of his arrest were played and he was asked to comment on the lies he told gardai back in 2016. The complexity of Dowdall's character played out on the video recordings and in the answers he gave from the witness box, where he has said Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch told him he shot David Byrne. Today, Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald after another dramatic week at the Regency Trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 210: Jonathan Dowdall: I lied to gardai to save my family (Day 4)

Jonathan Dowdall watched from the witness box at the Special Criminal Court at videos of his arrest from 2016 on firearms offences, where he told gardai that Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch never told him anything about the Regency Hotel. Dowdall was also played tapes where he says Hutch is 'very private' and not a friend of his and reveals that 'The Monk' wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell him even if he was involved Today Nicola Tallant and Niall Donald discuss Day 4 of the gruelling cross examination of the former Sinn Fein councillor. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 209: 'Tall tales and bravado' as Jonathan Dowdall claims he tried to impress 'The Monk' (Day 3)

Jonathan Dowdall said he wanted to make stories more "beefy" for Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and was only trying to impress him with tales of bomb making, ordering a shootout at his Uncle Jimmy's home and pointing out possible kidnap opportunities on their doomed trip north. Dowdall also told the Special Criminal Court that he was disgusted with himself on the bugged conversations recorded by gardai, saying that none of what he said was true, that he talked too much, and when there were uncomfortable silences he filled it with bravado and pub talk. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald and discusses the Regency Hotel murder Trial and what the witness will say next. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 208: 'Patsy's sons started Hutch-Kinahan feud', Jonathan Dowdall tells Regency trial (Day 2)

Jonathan Dowdall told the Special Criminal Court that Patsy Hutch’s sons, Gary and Patrick Junior, started the Kinahan-Hutch feud when they attempted to steal €4.6 million in cash from the home of Daniel Kinahan in Spain. The pair had planned, he claimed, to shoot the mob boss but botched the operation and shot innocent boxer Jamie Moore instead, kicking off the feud. In a dramatic second day of his evidence at the Regency trial, Dowdall further claimed that the Regency hit team were all family and friends of The Monk, naming all but one of the six involved. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about Dowdall's claims that he learned to waterboard a man from watching TV, took a bag with him to fix a plug when he brought Gerry Hutch to meet members of the New IRA in Donegal and his complaints about prison conditions where he says he is known as 'Dowdall the Rat'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 207: The extraordinary testimony of Jonathan Dowdall in the Regency murder trial (Day 1)

Jonathan Dowdall finally stepped into the witness box on day 30 of the Regency Hotel trial, where Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch stands accused of murdering David Byrne. In evidence, he sensationally claimed that Cartel boss Daniel Kinahan "personally shot Patrick Hutch Jnr" in a pre-arranged punishment attack and that 'The Monk' told him that he and James 'Mago' Gately had murdered Byrne Today Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about Dowdall on the stand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 206: D-Day for Dowdall in the Regency Hotel murder trial

STATE Witness Jonathan Dowdall will appear in the Special Criminal Court on Monday, but before he gives evidence a senior Garda officer from the Crime and Security Unit will tell him that his performance in the box won’t necessarily secure him a place on the Witness Protection Programme. In another extraordinary day at the Regency Hotel trial where Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch denies murdering David Byrne, the court heard that Dowdall has not yet been accepted on the Programme and is still being assessed for his suitability. Prosecution barrister, Sean Gillane SC, told Justices Tara Burns, Sarah Berkeley and Grainne Malone that reports from external agencies are required and that it usually takes six months for the process to be completed. The Judge said she did not accept that as she had worked in trials where it was done far quicker. So, how will Dowdall feel when he finally swears to tell the truth to the court? Today, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about witness protection, a f…

Episode 205: Jonathan Dowdall and the witness protection programme - what's the deal?

FORMER Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall has agreed to give evidence against Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch at the Special Criminal Court - but a Judge has demanded to know his status on the Witness Protection Programme. Justice Tara Burns, who is presiding over the Regency Hotel murder trial, said she was unhappy with a note she was given relating to Dowdall's position and has ordered the matter to be cleared up immediately. The Witness Protection Programme falls under the remit of the Garda’s Crime and Security wing, headed up by Assistant Commissioner Orla McPartlin. The senior officer has already appeared before the three-judge panel, when called to explain why gardai chose to destroy data relating to a tracking device. Justice Burns ruled that while aspects of Dowdall's transition to witness were not without difficulty, the court is entitled to hear his evidence. Today, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the much-anticipated witness who once stood accused of murder. See o…

Episode 204: The battle to hear the testimony of Jonathan Dowdall in the Regency Hotel murder trial

STATE witness Jonathan Dowdall could be delayed in giving his evidence at the Regency Hotel murder trial as defence lawyers continue to argue his permission to take the stand. Complex cross-examination of gardai involved in the investigation has revealed how Dowdall and his wife Patricia reached out to investigators after he was charged with the murder of David Byrne before he eventually gave a 50-page statement to officers. His status on the Witness Protection Programme is expected to be clarified today, when the court will decide what happens next. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the evidence from the Regency trial and the details that have emerged of Dowdall’s route from accused to witness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 203: Three gangland shootings in one night on Ireland's streets of fear

THREE gangland shootings in one night. One dead drug dealer, a hitman on the run and a feuding mob baying for revenge. Nicola Tallant talks with Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy about the violence that has erupted in gangland and three separate murder attempts in one night. The pair discuss the reasons behind the murder of Cormac Berkeley, the attempt on the life of notorious criminal James ‘Nellie’ Walsh and the repeated attempts to shoot Finglas gangster 'Mr Flashy' and his young associate. Is the surge in violent gun attacks a fallout from the collapse of the Kinahan empire, or is a bullet just a way of doing business in the chaotic underworld? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 202: The jailing of Robert 'Roo' Redmond and Bernard Fogarty - Ireland's most-feared assassins

THE conviction of gangland hit-men Robert ‘Roo’ Redmond and his sidekick Bernard Fogarty marks the end of the short and dangerous careers of Dublin’s one-time, most-feared assassins. This week, as the pair settle in to a life sentence behind bars, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the chaos and fear spread by the murderous duo. They discuss death threats to innocent families, terrifying selfie videos and the brutal gun murder of dad Barry Wolverson, who survived in a catatonic state for 13 months after he was shot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 201: Crime World Live - The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club final verdict

Crime World 'boss' Nicola Tallant hosts this special, live edition of The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club from a packed Sugar Club in Dublin. Over the past five weeks our expert panels have rated and reviewed some of the most famous mob movies ever to grace the silver screen - from The Godfather to Goodfellas, to Scarface and Casino, it was an offer we couldn't refuse. Now, before a live audience, the Crime World 'Capos' discuss some of the real-life gangsters that inspired the movies, and why many of the characters have parallels in the modern-day underworld. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 200: The suspected three-man hit team behind the murder of mobster Robbie Lawlor

A three-man assassination squad scouted out Irish crime boss Robbie Lawlor’s movements before carrying out his contract killing, a Belfast court has heard. The three formed a cell intercepted by police following the shooting, but were then released and allowed to leave Northern Ireland, it has emerged. So, what are the claims that were made as bail was refused to accused Adrian Holland, who is charged with the murder of Lawlor in April 2020, and just who are the three-man assassination squad? Today Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the murder of Lawlor and the intriguing evidence that has come out so far. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 199: The bugging dilemma - Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's murder trial at a crossroads

THE judges at the Special Criminal Court are set to rule on the admissibility of evidence relating to 10 hours of conversation between murder accused Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and ex-Sinn Fein councillor Jonathan Dowdall, captured by a garda bugging device on March 7 2016. The defence, led by Brendan Grehan SC, says almost eight hours of the contents of the audio recording of the conversations should be thrown out, as Dowdall's jeep was travelling through Northern Ireland at the time and therefore is ‘illicit fruit’. The prosecution disagrees, and counsel Sean Gillane says the bug was an inanimate object and the recordings are lawful as the device was deployed, retrieved and downloaded in the Republic. The decision will be hugely significant for garda operations and for criminals. Nicola Tallant chats with courts reporter Alison O’Riordan about the crossroads in the Regency trial and what the judgement will mean for gardai, the surveillance act and the accused. See omnystudio.com/l…

Episode 198: The dramatic Dubai arrest of Balkan mob boss and Kinahan ally Edin Gacanin

THE arrest of a Balkan mob boss in a massive Europol co-ordinated operation against the so called 'Super Cartel' leaves just one man standing from the leadership of the gang that controlled a massive 30 per cent of Europe’s cocaine market. Edin Gacanin of the 'Tito and Dino cartel' was the third big gang boss who had attended Daniel Kinahan’s infamous 2017 wedding to be lifted in Dubai, in a multi-national operation that saw 49 arrests and the seizure of high-end cars, jewellery and properties. His arrest follows that of Camorra boss Raffaele Imperiale, also identified at the wedding by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, and that of the Dutch-Moroccan leader Riduoan Taghi. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon about the multi-agency raids six in different countries that netted high value targets for Europol. They discuss the highly-organised operations against the 'Super Cartel' and the looming final takedown of the Kinahan high command, still bedded down in a…

Episode 197: Court sketch artist reveals the secrets behind the mask of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch

FOR Gerry Hutch the stakes couldn't be higher at the Special Criminal Court, where he stands accused of murder - a crime that goes with a mandatory life sentence. Each day, he faces the weight of the prosecution case compiled by an army of gardai who have spent years putting together their case against him and co-accused Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney. So, how is he dealing under the pressure and does his face give away anything about how he feels inside? Nicola Tallant talks to court sketch artist Mike O'Donnell, who has spent days studying 'The Monk' as he draws his image in the dock. They discuss skill of the court artist, about the intricacies and lines that make up a face and about works of art created during the darkest of hours.. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 196: 'The Disappeared' of Northern Ireland's Troubles

It was an unforgiveable crime - to murder someone and refuse to give up their body. And it became the ultimate terror threat of the IRA: “We will disappear you and no one will ever know.” Those tragic secrets lay buried for many years but the truth always has a way of coming out. The families of those who became known as “The Disappeared” gradually found their voices and, one by one, the bodies were found in lonely bogs and beaches. The remains of 13 of the 17 disappeared victims have been recovered, while four have yet to be found. Efforts to locate their bodies continue to this day and earlier this month a new dig for teenager Columba McVeigh was resumed on a bog in County Monaghan. Sunday World Assistant Editor in Belfast, Gerry Millar, spent the early years of his career investigating these cases and was amongst the first to compile a list of what became known as 'The Disappeared'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 195: The Hutch tapes - the paramilitaries and the Kinahan peace summit

The final hour of bugged conversations between Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall were played to the Special Criminal Court as the prosecution and defence now embark on their arguments about the admissibility of the evidence. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon about the chats centred around Sinn Fein and the dissidents, who the pair claim are idolised for their beliefs. They talk about the mindset of The Monk as he discusses the expanse of the Kinahan organisation and the possibility of a peace process overseen by the paramilitaries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 194: The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - Goodfellas and The Usual Suspects

WELCOME to the Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - a Crime World special where we will be discussing our favourite mobster movies with special guests. Each week for the next five, we will choose two movies from our own Top 10 to review, to rate and to remember. But we want your thoughts too - so go to our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to vote for your favourites and be in with a chance to win tickets to a special live show and party. This week Clodagh Meaney chats with Sunday World's Deirdre Reynolds and TV star Fionnula Jay, as they cast their eyes over two iconic gangster movies, Goodfellas and The Usual Suspects. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 193: The Hutch tapes - 'Monk' on a mission to stop a tide of murder

GERRY 'The Monk' Hutch hated what organised crime had become by the time, the State say, he was headed North in a jeep with Jonathan Dowdall to facilitate the return of the AK47s used in the Regency Hotel attack. It was March 2016, his brother 'Neddy' was already dead, and he knew that a peace deal with the Kinahan organisation, overseen by Northern Irish paramilitaries, was his only hope of saving his family. Such is the narrative spilling out at the Special Criminal Court, where surveillance tapes are being played and where Hutch stands accused of murder. Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about plots to kill, about an underworld in turmoil and about 'The Monk' on a mission to stop a tide of murder. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 192: The extraordinary surveillance tape of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and State witness Jonathan Dowdall

CONVERSATIONS between Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch and State Witness Jonathan Dowdall were played to the Special Criminal Court today in extraordinary evidence the admissibility of which is still being disputed. In the bugged surveillance, the pair talked about everything from the Regency Hotel attack to Dublin singer Imelda May. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the sensational audio recordings as the pair made their way to Northern Ireland for meetings with paramilitaries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 191: Jeffrey Mitchell - heroin kingpin to tragic homeless addict

NOTORIOUS mobster Jeffrey Mitchell was found dead in a Dublin hostel after a suspected heroin overdose. The 49-year-old from Crumlin was the most prolific heroin dealer in Dublin in the late 1990s and 2000s, supplying both the Westies gang and the mob that would become known as 'The Family'. Today I’m talking to Niall Donald about the rise and fall of the one time drugs kingpin and about his sorry end as a penniless and homeless addict. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 190: The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - Donnie Brasco and Scarface

WELCOME to the Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - a Crime World special where we will be discussing our favourite mobster movies with special guests. Each week for the next five, we will choose two movies from our own Top 10 to review, to rate and to remember. But we want your thoughts too - so go to our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to vote for your favourites and be in with a chance to win tickets to a special live show and party. This week Nicola Tallant chats with podcast stars The Two Norries, as they cast their eyes over two Al Pacino classics, Donnie Brasco and Scarface. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 189: Why did secretive Garda unit destroy data relating to the tracking of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch?

A SENIOR officer from the Garda National Surveillance Unit ordered the destruction of records from a tracker device used on a jeep which, the State claim, Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall used to travel to the North before the Regency AK47s were seized. Former Detective Superintendent Ciaran Hoey said he decided to destroy the records and data in February of this year despite five people, including Dowdall and his father Patrick, facing trial in relation to the murder of David Byrne. In his evidence, Hoey said he was following guidelines and didn’t believe the records would be of any use in the trial. However, he admitted he didn’t consult the team investigating the murder, the Director of Public Prosecution or the State’s legal team before issuing the destruction order. Defence counsel for 'The Monk', Brendan Grehan SC, said that he didn’t accept that the data was useless and said that the records could have disclosed the movement of the vehicle in Northern Irel…

Episode 188: 'Dapper Don' Christy Kinahan's complex love life and his plans to escape and set up in Zimbabwe

'Dapper Don' Christy Kinahan was planning an African escape with his partner Nessy Yildirim to Harare in Zimbabwe where he hoped to settle with his family while taking control of one of the world’s key cocaine shipping routes. Reporters from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists discovered that Kinahan posed as a humanitarian aviation consultant and with Yildirim’s help tried to buy a fleet of planes from the Egyptian military. Today I’m speaking with Niall Donald about the incredible ambition of the Dublin Cartel boss who has always remained one step ahead of the law and his contemporaries. We talk about his top-level business dealings in plain sight, his ability to reinvent himself on the world stage while remaining out of the limelight and about the complex love life of an accomplished fraudster. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 187: The north inner city neighbourhood which the State say was used by the Regency Hit team

It’s the north inner city neighbourhood which the State say was used by the Regency Hit team to gather before they headed to the north Dublin hotel. The Buckingham street area has long been the heartland of the Hutch clan and indeed murder accused Gerry The Monk Hutch. In the run up to detailed evidence expected over the coming weeks and centered on an apartment complex called Buckingham Village myself and colleague Niall Donald visit the location which has been described in great detail and maps at the Special Criminal Court. We see the home of The Monks mother now used as by a children's charity and the closeness of key individual caught up in the feud. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 186: The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - Casino and The City of God

Welcome to the Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - a Crime World special where we will be discussing our favourite gangster films with special guests. Each week for the next five we will choose two movies from our own top ten to review, to rate and to remember. But we want your thoughts too so go onto our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to vote for your favourites and be in with a chance to win tickets to a special live show and party. This week I’m chatting with comedian Peter McGann and the Sunday World’s Niall Donald about Casino and the epic The City of God. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 185: Why Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch is continuing to fight for his reputation in the court of public opinion

Gerry The Monk Hutch has vigorously defended his 'innocence and reputation' at the Special Criminal Court where he is on trial for the murder of David Byrne. In advance of opinion evidence which was given to the court by Detective Superintendent David Gallagher of the Garda's Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, his counsel, Brendan Grehan SC asked the court to respect his presumption of innocence of the past, present and future. DS Gallagher later told the court the Hutch Organised Crime Group was an intergenerational group run in a patriarchal system but that it is fluid and less structured than many other organised groups. Today I'm talking with my colleague Niall Donald about how 'the Monk' values his reputation and why he continues to fight for his image in the court of public opinion. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The life and crimes of Kinahan hitman Imre Arakas (Repost)

A survivor of the Cold War and of the notorious Russian Gulags, Imre Arakas was an international hitman who washed up on our shores like a character dreamed up in a work of fiction. His paymaster for this trip was Daniel Kinahan, the son of Christy Kinahan Snr and director general of the Irish mafia on the Costa Del Sol where Arakas lived. He’d worked for them before and he’d always been paid swiftly and efficiently on completion of a job He’d flown into Dublin with a tent, a little camping stove, fishing rods and binoculars, looking every bit the nature lover who enjoyed holidays in the great outdoors. Despite his celebrity as an international hitman for hire, Arakas was confident that nobody would know him in Ireland and that he could pass off as a tourist. It didn’t quite work out like that though. This is his story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 184: The extradition of Imre Arakas and his doomed trip to Dublin to kill James 'Mago' Gately

He looks a far cry from the international legend first arrested in Ireland in April 2017 on a trip to murder Kinahan cartel target James ‘Mago’ Gately. Gone are the chiselled good looks of the suave International hitman for hire and when Imre Arakas appeared in the Irish High Court this week before Justice Paul Burns he looked more like a desert island castaway resigned to his fate – a one way trip to Lithuania where he faces murder charges. Today I’m joined by my colleague Eamon Dillon as we discuss the extradition of Imre Arakas, the doomed trip to Dublin on a mission to kill that ended his lengthy career and the mobs from home and abroad brought down by their own bad decisions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 183: The evidence about the threats issued by the Kinahan Cartel in the wake of Regency Hotel shooting

The fear that surrounded the aftermath of the Regency Hotel attack for those who had been linked to the murder of David Byrne has been laid bare at the Special Criminal Court this week. Suspects Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy are both accused of providing the vehicles for the hit team that carried out the brazen shooting at a packed boxing weigh in. They deny the charges and any involvement in the murder of Byrne along with Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch who stands trial for the murder. As the trial continues I’m talking with my colleague Niall Donald about the evidence about threats issued by the Kinahan Cartel in the weeks and months following the February 5th incident, about the professional boxers who have been named over the course of the trial and about the impending legal battle surrounding issues around policing the northern Ireland border and secrets held behind the closed doors of elite Garda units. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 182: The latest from the murder trial of Detective Garda Colm Horkan

THE trial of Stephen Silver for the murder of Detective Garda Colm Horkan is continuing at the Central Criminal Court where the motorbike mechanic has taken the stand to give evidence in his own defence. Silver has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Garda Horkan, knowing or being reckless as to whether he was a member of An Garda Siochana, but guilty to his manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility Nicola Tallant is joined by courts reporter Eoin Reynolds as we get up to date on the evidence heard in the on-going trial See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 181: How Dubai became the new Costa del Crime for the world's gangsters

It’s been a place of refuge for countless mega-rich European drug traffickers who have beaten a golden path to the luxury Gulf state of Dubai over the past 10 years. And when a super cartel of the biggest cocaine traffickers sat down to do business at Daniel Kinahan's 2017 wedding at the seven-star Burj Al Arab hotel they couldn’t have felt safer. But arrests, deportations and sanctions have followed - with two now in prison and two left behind, trapped in their own luxury prisons. So how did Dubai become the new Costa Del Crime and how committed are police and rulers in the United Arab Emirates to handing back the crooks? Nicola Tallant talks with author and journalist Carl Fellstrom, who details the ancient Hawala money laundering system that has made crime easy, about the British drug trafficker who led the way to the Gulf at the turn of the century, and about the A-list traffickers - including the Kinahan mob - who followed to the cash-rich desert paradise. See omnystudio.com/…

Episode 180: The murder trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch – Suspects under surveillance

THE trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch for the murder of Kinahan Cartel lieutenant David Byrne has focused on events that took place in the weeks following the Regency Hotel attack and the subsequent covert Garda operations involving the National Surveillance Unit. Here, Nicola Tallant chats with courts reporter Alison O'Riordan about evidence heard surrounding the movements of Gerry Hutch, Jonathan Dowdall and others on key dates, when the State say they met with IRA man Shane Rowan before he was nabbed with the Regency guns. Alison details the intricacies of the surveillance operations and about the 'lightning bolt' moment when Hutch's counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, indicated to the court that the Northern border would be key to their defence. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 179: The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - The Godfather I & II

WELCOME to the Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - a Crime World special where we will be discussing our favourite mobster movies with special guests. Each week for the next five, we will choose two movies from our own Top 10 to review, to rate and to remember. But we want your thoughts too - so go to our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to vote for your favourites and be in with a chance to win tickets to a special live show and party. This week Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World's Daragh Keany and Enda Bolger, as they cast their eyes over the Francis Ford Coppola Mafia masterpiece, The Godfather I & II. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 178: The story of Darkey Kelly - Witch, devil worshipper or Ireland's first female serial killer?

Witch, devil worshipper and Ireland’s first serial killer are just some of the titles that have been bestowed on Darkey Kelly over the years. Born in the 1700s as Dorcus, she ran a brothel on Fishamble Street in Dublin’s city centre. And while not much is known about her life, the story went that she was burned at the stake for witchcraft after she sacrificed her baby to the devil in 1746. But in 2011, researchers debunked the theory when they discovered that the sex worker was actually publicly executed in 1761 for the murder of shoemaker Patrick Dowling on March 17th the year previously. However, a new theory began to emerge that she was a serial killer after a newspaper report suggested that five bodies were found beneath the floorboards of her former broth In 2022, PHD researcher Shannon Hughes Spence, who has an interest in women, witches and murder, took it upon herself to investigate whether or not Darkey was in fact a serial killer. Crime World's Clodagh Meaney chats with S…

Episode 177: The Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - Pulp Fiction and The Departed

WELCOME to the Dingle Whiskey Movie Club - a Crime World special where we will be discussing our favourite mobster movies with special guests. Each week for the next five, we will choose two movies from our own Top 10 to review, to rate and to remember. But we want your thoughts too - so go to our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to vote for your favourites and be in with a chance to win tickets to a special live show and party. This week Nicola Tallant chats with Crime World's Clodagh Meaney and comedian Emma Doran, as they cast their eyes over the Tarantino triumph, Pulp Fiction, and Martin Scorcese's The Departed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 176: The murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch - the undercover sting to recover the Regency weapons

Twenty-seven members of the Garda’s National Surveillance Unit had an operation in place on the day the State say Shane Rowan drove to Dublin to collect the AK47s used in the Regency Hotel attack. Now, the Special Criminal Court will rule on whether or not those officers who are called to give evidence in the trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch and his co-accused, Jason Bonney and Paul Murphy, can remain anonymous. Defence lawyers are objecting to the gardai being anonymised and the three judges of the non-jury court will rule on the application today. Hutch himself has not been identified in the CCTV, which shows four cars moving around an industrial estate near the northside shopping centre, but his brother Patsy Hutch snr is alleged to have been the driver of a Toyota Yaris car who shared coffee and a bun with Rowan in the early evening before he was caught. Rowan's car was stopped on March 9, 2016 outside Slane, Co Meath, with the guns in the boot and he would later plead guilty…

Episode 175: The murder trial of Detective Garda Colm Horkan

A trial at the Central Criminal Court has been hearing evidence of events surrounding the death of a Detective Garda who was shot dead with his own weapon after responding to a call. Motorbike mechanic Stephen Silver has denied murdering Detective Colm Horkan, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility. Nicola Tallant chats with courts reporter Eoin Reynolds about the trial and the evidence that has been heard before a jury that detail the events of that tragic night in Castlerea, Co Mayo. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 174: How the Troubles hid a history of collusion between loyalist paramilitaries and security forces

Suggestions of collusion between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries has long been denied when it comes to Northern Ireland’s Troubles, but it seems that the passage of time has a way of unearthing deeply-hidden secrets. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Hugh Jordan about some of the historical murder cases which show concerning links to security forces. He recalls the Ulster major and his female sidekick who passed information to Protestant paramilitary killers who went on to target an innocent catholic man, about the elite commando who fed information to Johnny 'Mad Dog' Johnny Adair and about the violent 'C' Company and their belief they could ethnically cleanse Northern Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 173: The murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch - The 'kill team' caught on camera

A few seconds of CCTV footage showing six men running towards what the State says was a getaway car sparked gasps from the gallery at the Special Criminal Court, where Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch stands trial for murder. The footage, captured at St Vincent's GAA club, was taken within 20 minutes of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel and shows what the prosecution will claim are the hit team as they make their escape from a burning van. Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the latest developments in the sensational trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 172: The murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch - the movements of the gangland hit team

THE trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch for the murder of David Byrne has seen footage of Regency Hotel gunman Kevin 'Flat Cap' Murray enjoying a relaxed pint of Guinness the night before his image would cement his reputation in gangland history. Murray, who was critically ill at the time, has since died and was never brought to justice for his role in Byrne's murder. The Special Criminal Court saw Murray peruse a dinner menu and sitting at a hotel bar for a relaxed pint hours before the very foundations of the Irish underworld were shaken to its core. Here, Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about a day in the trial of Hutch that revealed a lot about the plot to kill and what the State says are the movements of the hit team. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 171: George 'The Penguin' Mitchell, the underworld bagman and the mystery godfather of crime

Underworld banker Patrick Lawlor is beginning a jail term after a court heard he was caught with drug money belonging to a 'trans-global organisation'. The 56-year-old former builder claims he had fallen on hard times before he agreed to mind and move money linked to George 'The Penguin' Mitchell and his reclusive side kick Robbie Murphy. But his capture is a window into the secretive dealings of the Mitchell organisation, who have for decades remained one step ahead of the law. Today, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about The Penguin, the money man and Ireland's real Godfather of Crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 170: The dramatic opening to the murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch

GERRY 'The Monk' Hutch defiantly pleaded not guilty today as he stood accused of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 - the killing that sparked Ireland's bloodiest gangland feud. The trial kicked-off shortly after 11am as the State put its case to the Special Criminal Court. According to the prosecution, Hutch told State Witness Jonathan Dowdall that he had been 'one of the team that shot David Byrne' when the pair met in a Dublin park in the days after the attack. The court also heard how 'The Monk' was 'particularly worked up and edgy' about a picture that had been published in the Sunday World. Hutch stands accused along with Paul Murphy and Jason Bonney, who both deny facilitating the murder by providing vehicles to the gang. Today, Nicola Tallant talks with Niall Donald about the opening day of the much-anticipated trial. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 169: The sentencing of Jonathan Dowdall for his role in the Regency Hotel murder

Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick were given two weeks to prepare for custodial sentences yesterday after a court heard they were to be handed over to Portlaoise Prison authorities by An Garda Siochana. Patrick will serve less than one year in prison after he was handed down a two-year term for his role in the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne, while son Jonathan was given a four-year sentence. So how did Justice Tony Hunt decide on the length of sentences and what were the factors that influenced the decision of the Special Criminal Court? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 168: The undercover customs officer who infiltrated the world's most-feared drug cartels

The life of an undercover operative embedded deep in the world of drugs gangs and money launderers is far from ordinary. And it's rare we get an insight into the skills and personality traits required in such a high-risk situation. But, in his new book 'The Betrayer', elite undercover customs officer Guy Stanton tells author Peter Walsh just what it took to live under a mask while mixing with cartel bosses, drug lords and enforcers - and trapping them through their trust. Nicola Tallant chats with Walsh about the psychological tools needed to live as a 'deep fake', about the lengths the operatives go to to create a 'legend' and about some of the greatest achievements of ordinary people who take extraordinary risks to fight crime. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 167: The secrets behind Ireland’s witness protection programme

THE secretive Witness Protection Programme has been thrust into the spotlight with the decision of Jonathan Dowdall to turn State witness against his former neighbour and friend Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch. But what is the Programme and when did it start? Is it a golden ticket out of trouble or a poison chalice for those who sign up? Nicola Tallant chats with Maynooth University lecturer Aaron Harte Hughes, who is undertaking a PhD in the Irish Witness Security Programme. He tells of the lack of legislation around the programme, about the European recommendations being ignored by Ireland and about the difficulties its set-up poses to judges, witnesses and the accused. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 166: Just what evidence will Jonathan Dowdall reveal in the trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch?

The trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch looks set to go ahead next week despite new witness statements and the dramatic turn around of his former co- accused Jonathan Dowdall. The Special Criminal Court has been told that the trial is ‘all systems go’ to start and that Hutch is anxious to proceed in his not guilty plea to the murder of David Byrne. But do documents leaked on social media purporting to relate to Dowdall’s statements give an indication of where this trial might go. Today I’m talking to Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the on-going developments in the biggest trial of recent times. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 165: The daylight murder of Belfast drug lord Sean Fox

It took two gunmen just 21 seconds to murder drug dealer Sean Fox in a packed Belfast bar in an assassination which was meticulously planned, calm and ruthless. Captured on CCTV before and after the Sunday afternoon killing, the assassins wore distinctive clothes and escaped on foot, disappearing into a Belfast housing estate without trace. So what does the murder tell us about the killers and why was Sean Fox, a member of the so-called 'Marbella Crew', targeted? Nicola Tallant chats with Belfast Telegraph journalist Allison Morris about the shocking daylight shooting, Fox’s links to murdered drug dealer Jim 'JD' Donegan and about an assassin on a mission to rid Belfast of crime kingpins. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 164: The Spanish trial of veteran mobster John Gilligan

IRISH gangster John Gilligan managed a smile for the cameras this week after appearing in a Spanish Court on drug charges. The trial of the 70-year-old mobster was put back until next April after his son Darren failed to show up in court, while Gilligan himself had failed to reach agreement on the sentence he will accept from State Prosecutors. Journalist Gerard Couzens was in court to witness the antics of the ageing criminal and his co-accused, which include his girlfriend Sharon Oliver and his long-term associate ‘Fat’ Tony Armstrong. He tells Nicola Tallant how Gilligan choreographed his court outing to look confident and carefree despite facing a possible lengthy jail term. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 163: The Liverpool gang wars and the killing of tragic 9-year-old school girl Olivia Pratt-Korbel

The killing of nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in Liverpool on August 22 has left Merseyside's underworld reeling from a major crackdown on organised crime. The little girl, who was shot when her mother opened the door of their home after hearing commotion outside, will forever be remembered as the ultimate innocent victim of gangland crime. This week, Thomas Cashman was charged with her murder and a second man, Paul Russell, was brought before the courts for assisting an offender. But police have said their investigation is on-going and they are committed to finding anyone involved in the murder, while a record £200,000 reward has been put up for information. Nicola Tallant chats with Liverpool Echo Crime Reporter Jonathan Humphries, who discusses 'Operation Miller', the policing tsunami that has followed Olivia’s murder and the hundreds of criminals caught up in the searches, raids and seizures. He describes the history of Liverpool’s links to organised crime, its position as…

Episode 162: The jailing of ex-garda John 'Spud' Murphy and his suspected links to the Hutch gang

A former Garda Superintendent has been jailed for six-and-a-half years after he was caught with more than €250,000 worth of cannabis. But the investigation into John ‘Spud’ Murphy began because of his suspected links to the Hutch Organised crime group and the passing of information to them. Before his arrest in Spain, Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch became aware of a European Arrest Warrant issued for him thanks to an anonymous Twitter site. And now the same social media channels are under investigation because of threats to State Witness Jonathan Dowdall and members of the Garda team working on the Regency probe. So what’s been going on behind the scenes? Nicola Tallant chats with Niall Donald about the jailing of one of Ireland’s most decorated former officers and the social media campaign against Dowdall and his family. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 161: The dramatic new evidence that halted the murder trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch

The trial of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel has been put back for a few weeks after dramatic developments in the Special Criminal Court. Hutch stepped into the dock hours after the court heard his neighbour and lifelong family friend Jonathan Dowdall had turned State witness against him. During his sentence hearing for the lesser charge of facilitating the Regency attack, evidence was heard how Dowdall is entering the Witness Protection Programme and has given a lengthy statement to gardai. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World deputy, Niall Donald, and Crime World producer, Ian Maleney, about an extraordinary day in Dublin's Special Criminal Court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 160: The day I came face to face with a killer

Trainee journalists often have to find their feet in a dog-eat-dog world, where you are only as good as your last byline. And many of those who have been landed onto the crime beat have literally had to learn on their feet in the most bizarre circumstances. Sunday World features and motoring editor Daragh Keany is nowadays more at home in a top-of-the-range Mercedes or flying first class to an exotic destination - but it wasn’t always like that. Nicola Tallant chats with Daragh, who recalls his experiences as a young wet-behind-the-years crime reporter and about the day he came face to face with a killer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 159: The arrest of Gerard Mackin and the secret Kinahan Cartel ledgers

The Kinahan organisation has been financially pulverised after a raid on properties connected to money launderer Johnny Morrissey uncovered what police believe to be the mob’s internal accounts, including pay roll, lists of assets and names of debtors and creditors. A number of charities based around Marbella are now suspected of being part of the Kinahan money laundering machine, along with a string of nightclubs, bars and restaurants. The Cartel is crumbling and a recent arrest of enforcer Gerard Mackin in Spain has firmly placed the focus back on the Costa Del Crime, where socialites, D-list celebrities, chefs and private club owners are all trying to distance themselves from the dirty money. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about Mackin’s arrest for alleged money laundering offences, his links to the Kinahan mob and the wider financial probe which is set to be the final nail in the coffin for the Kinahan family. See omnystudio.com/listener for…

Episode 158: The arrest of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch inside Wheatfield Prison

A wider investigation into how the State believe Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch directed a criminal gang and corrupted a retired police officer is on-going outside the Regency Hotel trial, which is due to get underway next week. Hutch was arrested at Wheatfield Prison on Wednesday and quizzed about his links to the former Garda officer, along with his involvement in running a criminal network suspected of being responsible for a flood of drugs and weapons. Meanwhile, a senior member of the Kinahan organisation has been brought back to the Special Criminal Court on further drugs and firearms charges. Douglas Glynn is already serving a sentence in relation to an attempt on the life of James ‘Mago’ Gately - but now may be facing a further trial. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World colleague Niall Donald about the dramatic developments as Ireland’s crackdown on organised crime and feuding gangs continues. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 157: How Jonathan Dowdall ended up in the dock for one of the most notorious crimes in gangland history

Former Sinn Fein Councillor Jonathan Dowdall and his father Patrick have pleaded guilty today to their roles in the Regency Hotel shooting of David Byrne. The pleas come days before Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch goes on trial for murder in the Special Criminal Court in a trial expected to last a number of months. So who is Jonathan Dowdall and how did he end up in the dock for one of the most notorious crimes in gangland history? Today, in the first of our Crime World specials about the Regency Hotel trials, I'm talking with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the sensational developments today at the Special Criminal Court. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 156: The drug den murder of tragic Tony Dempsey

Murder victim Tony Dempsey’s end is as grim as a society could ever imagine. For 10 days his body lay decomposing in a Dublin flat while drug users came and went and neighbours complained about the smell. Gardai believe the 28-year-old was killed by someone he knew and was left to rot in a city centre drug den where addicts came for their fix and to shoot up. So who was Tony Dempsey and how did he come to such a tragic end, discarded like a bag of rubbish and covered by blankets as drug users partied nearby? Nicola Tallant talks with Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy, who says that Dempsey was a classic example of a young man who fell through the cracks of society. He tells me of his chaotic background, the years in foster homes and his gruesome end in a flat described as a ‘place of absolute horror.’ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 155: How cocaine is changing the face of rural Ireland

The Ploughing Championships are an annual highlight in the calendar for those living in rural Ireland who work the land and who don their wellies for the biggest outdoor get-together in Europe. This week, Crime World travelled to the event to discuss one of the biggest issues for communities all over the country – how cocaine use is changing the face of rural Ireland. Nicola Tallant and Sunday World Deputy Editor, Niall Donald, took to the stage at the Irish Independent tent to chat about the threat to rural towns and villages from the growing cocaine scene and how large scale dealers are now firmly embedded in every corner of Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 154: Fear on the streets as Ireland's most notorious rapist Simon McGinley is freed from jail

He is Ireland’s most notorious rapist whose first attack sparked the controversial 'C Case' which saw the State pitched against the parents of his 13-year-old victim, who the courts ruled could travel to the UK for an abortion such was the suicide risk. Brute Simon McGinley went on to carry out another horrendous sexual assault on an elderly woman in her own home and has spent the past two decades in prison. But this month he was freed from jail and journalist Eamon Dillon was there to witness his release. Today I’m talking to Eamon about McGinley his crimes and the danger he still poses to women. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 153: The life and crimes of Belfast's most notorious gangster 'Maxi' McAlorum

BANK robber and drug dealer Kevin 'Maxi' McAlorum had to dodge plenty of enemies during his long criminal career as Belfast’s most-notorious gangster. But in the end it was illness that got him, and he was laid to rest in true gangland style in a horse-drawn hearse pulled by plumed Friesian stallions. So what secrets did the notorious 'Maxi' take to his grave and what did he gain from his long and violent underworld life? Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World journalist Hugh Jordan about the life and times of 'Maxi' McAlorum and the pain he both doled out and received from a series of very personal tragedies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 152: The last living boss of the old-school Russian mob in America

HE is New York’s most notorious Russian mobster, who made and lost a fortune from heroin trafficking, tax fraud and diamond smuggling. A gulag survivor hardened by the harsh punishments of the Soviet Union, Boris Biba Nayfeld became a gang enforcer and later a mob boss suspected of murder, torture and doing business with the Mafia’s infamous 'Five Families'. A larger-than-life, vodka swilling, chess playing pensioner, he has finally opened up to author Douglas Century, whose book 'The Last Boss of Brighton' is a kaleidoscope of stories of sex, drugs and murder. Now, Nicola Tallant talks with Douglas about his time in the company of the old-school Russian gangster. He tells her about Biba’s journey from Belarus to Brighton Beach, about the $300 million fortune he earned and lost and about the unlikely friendship they developed as they learned about connections of their past. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 151: The dramatic arrest of Kinahan Cartel enforcer Johnny 'Cash' Morrissey

FLASH Johnny Morrissey became the first of the Kinahan 'SEVEN' to be arrested this week when Spanish police swooped on him for laundering a phenomenal €350,000 a day for the mob. The feared enforcer, sanctioned by U.S. authorities along with the top command Christy Kinahan Snr and his sons Daniel and Christopher Jnr, is now behind bars and sources say he has reached the end of the road in a criminal career which has spanned decades. For years, he believed he was untouchable and lived first in Kinsale in Co Cork and later on the Costa del Crime where his luxury villa is a monument to the Roman Emperor Nero. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon about the sensational developments in the global policing effort to dismantle the Kinahan mafia and about the life and crimes of one of its most violent enforcers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 150: The 'GPO girl' and how her days posing as a teenager could be numbered

It was a story that read like the start of a true crime bestseller – a teenage girl is found wandering on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, a team of experts are brought together to discover who she is and pencil drawings depict a cruel sex trafficking ring. Dubbed 'GPO girl', Samantha Azzopardi sparked a major Garda investigation in 2013 when she posed as a vulnerable young teen who’d lost the power of speech. Instead she was a troubled 25 year old Australian con artist who had a history of posing as a victim of crime. But what happened Azzopardi after her unwelcome brush with fame in Dublin and why is she back before a court in Australia on her 100th charge related to fraud. Today I’m talking with Sunday Independent journalist Ali Bracken about the extraordinary story of GPO girl and how her days posing as a teenager could be numbered thanks to the power of television. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 149: The American weapons fuelling the blood-thirsty Mexican Cartels and drug wars

Automatic weapons sold legally in the US are flowing over the border into Mexico to arm narco terrorists who control the drug supply that floods back. Deadly drug cartels are using 50-calibre rifles - used to rip through armoured vehicles - against police and the military along with AK-47s and AR-15s in gang wars that are claiming tens of thousands of lives. Journalist Ioan Grillo, who has reported for more than 20 years from Mexico on cartels and narco wars, says an iron river flowing from the US is arming violent drug gangs wreaking death and destruction. In an interview on this week's Crime World podcast, Grillo says that a third of Mexico's two million square kilometres and population of 130 million people are living under serious narco cartel problems. Another third has a cartel presence, while other parts of the country are only as violent as Belgium. But it is the level of firepower in the hands of the narcos that causes the real casualties. See omnystudio.com/listener for priv…

Episode 148: Mass murder on a Canadian reserve - who was the killer on the run?

The last suspect in a horrific stabbing spree that killed 10 and wounded 18 in western Canada is dead following his capture, and police hope the stunning end to a gripping hunt that stretched into a fourth day will bring some peace to victims' families. In an incredible scenario the famed Royal Canadian Mountain Police have been criticised for their slow response times at the tiny indigenous reserve where the killings began and now they are under an international spotlight as suspected crazed killer Myles Sanderson remains at large. Today I’m talking to journalist Brad Hunter of the Toronto Sun about horror in Saskatchewan, about an orgy of violence which has devastated a struggling community and about the background of a crazed killer who has so far evaded police. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 147: How the close proximity of prison staff and inmates can sometimes lead to trouble

It’s a life alien to many but for prisoners the daily grind of jail time is a heady mix of boredom, survival and opportunism. Smuggled contraband brings power, drugs and alcohol are a way to escape the four walls and, for many staff and workers, are seen as a means to an end. Today I’m talking with Sunday World journalist, Eamon Dillon about the strange world of prison and how the close proximity of staff and inmates can sometimes lead to trouble. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 146: Film maker Toby Muse on how cocaine makes its way from Colombia to Ireland

It’s the white gold that has turned street dealers into billionaires and corrupted politicians, police and even the judiciary with its promises of wealth beyond dreams. Cocaine starts out life as a leaf on a tree in the jungles of south and central America but how does it get to the streets of Ireland and how many people die along the way? Today I’m talking with film maker Toby Muse as he traces a kilo of coke from its source in the makeshift laboratories of Colombia to the Pacific Coast where it sets sail to the US and Europe. He tells me of the grinding poverty, the violence and the tragedy that touches so many as the kilo soars in value on its journey to a population of Europe with an insatiable appetite for a sniff. This is crime world a podcast from sundayworld.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 145: The rise and fall of cocaine cowboy Patrick Irwin

Cocaine cowboy Patrick Irwin is being hunted after he assaulted a lawyer in a midlands town and stole his Porsche car from outside a bar. The convicted criminal has already served time for assaulting a Garda who he viciously punched during a search of his car while on bail for serious drug offences. Once a powerful gang boss who controlled Ireland’s north west drug turf from his hometown of Sligo, Irwin is now on borrowed time running scared from gardai and his enemies. Today I’m talking with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about Irwin and his rise and fall. And we consider the treatment of those who lash out at those working in the criminal justice system and whether their sentencing reflects their crimes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 144: Criminologist John Deane O’Keeffe on how psychopaths form their instincts to kill.

What is it that fascinates us about murder and that makes us want to know how the minds of killers work. Are we trying to protect ourselves in a seemingly dark and dangerous world or do we have a morbid fascination with death. Today I’m talking to Criminologist John Deane O’Keeffe about the psychopaths amongst us and whether nature or nurture forms the primal instincts to kill. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 143: The sadistic crimes of serial killer John Wayne Gacy

He's one of the most-notorious serial killers in American history and the inspiration for numerous slasher movies. 'Pogo the clown' by day and mass murderer by night, when John Wayne Gacy first killed a man at his Chicago ranch house after sex, he soon realised how easy it would be to hunt, lure and kill his prey. Thirty-three murders later, police finally moved in on the sadistic sexual predator and uncovered his sickening series of crimes. But what turned a seemingly ordinary man into a prolific killer? Clodagh Meaney chats with Brad Hunter, author of 'Inside the mind of John Wayne Gacy, about Gacy's motivations, how his childhood shaped him and why, to this day, some of the victims remain unknown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The driller killer dentist, his mistress and their grisly double murder (Part 3)

COLIN Howell and Hazel Stewart’s forbidden love drove them to commit the near-perfect crime. To onlookers they were the epitome of respectability – he the successful dentist with a flourishing practice that afforded him a life of luxury, she the glamourous wife of a retired high ranking police officer, regular church goer, pillar of society. To all intents and purposes they were the most unlikely of killers but they went about their daily lives for 19 years hiding the terrible truth of their former lives as illicit lovers, and how that love drove them to the ultimate act – murder. This is the story of how the couple plotted the deaths of their respective partners and how a crisis of conscience finally brought the crime to light. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The driller killer dentist, his mistress and their grisly double murder (Part 2)

COLIN Howell and Hazel Stewart’s forbidden love drove them to commit the near-perfect crime. To onlookers they were the epitome of respectability – he the successful dentist with a flourishing practice that afforded him a life of luxury, she the glamourous wife of a retired high ranking police officer, regular church goer, pillar of society. To all intents and purposes they were the most unlikely of killers but they went about their daily lives for 19 years hiding the terrible truth of their former lives as illicit lovers, and how that love drove them to the ultimate act – murder. This is the story of how the couple plotted the deaths of their respective partners and how a crisis of conscience finally brought the crime to light. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The driller killer dentist, his mistress and their grisly double murder (Part 1)

COLIN Howell and Hazel Stewart’s forbidden love drove them to commit the near-perfect crime. To onlookers they were the epitome of respectability – he the successful dentist with a flourishing practice that afforded him a life of luxury, she the glamourous wife of a retired high ranking police officer, regular church goer, pillar of society. To all intents and purposes they were the most unlikely of killers but they went about their daily lives for 19 years hiding the terrible truth of their former lives as illicit lovers, and how that love drove them to the ultimate act – murder. This is the story of how the couple plotted the deaths of their respective partners and how a crisis of conscience finally brought the crime to light. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 142: The monster who murdered his family and plotted to pin the blame on his dead wife

AN Indian woman and her two children strangled with ligatures in their Dublin home. An abusive husband who ended his own life before he could face trial. And a web of lies that attempted to blacken the name of a loving mother. Nicola Tallant chats with with Sunday Independent journalist Ali Bracken about the story of killer Sameer Syed and his tragic wife Seema Banu, who was murdered along with her children - 11-year-old Asfira Riza, six-year-old Faisan Syed - behind the doors of a seemingly ordinary family home. She tells me of the 38-page document penned by Syed before his death while in prison and the truth about a monster who tried to lay blame from beyond the grave against the woman he terrorised and killed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 141: The mystery of Sharon Marshall and the horror of her tragic life

IT'S a mystery that spanned decades, full of fake identities, murders, and kidnappings. In April 1990, when Tonya Hughes was killed after a hit-and-run incident in Oklahoma City, the FBI revealed that her so-called husband, Clarence Hughes, was actually her father. Coming forward to tell authorities what she knew, Tonya’s former best friend, Jennifer Fisher, revealed that her pal's real name was Sharon Marshall, her father Warren Marshall. She detailed the heart-breaking life of Tonya and how her creepy father Warren bought her raunchy lingerie and took her to nightclubs. But it was discovered that Warren wasn’t who he said he was, and Sharon, a victim who was taken from her mother as a young child. Today, Crime World researcher and Sunday World journalist Clodagh Meaney talks to Matt Birkbeck, the author of 'A Beautiful Child' and 'Finding Sharon', as well as a producer and contributor to the Netflix documentary on the story 'Girl In The Picture'. He tells of his decades working o…

Episode 140: The unsolved mystery of the Northern Irish newborn found dumped in a plastic bag

HIS career has seen him head up investigations into terrorism, corruption, human trafficking, drugs and homicide. The one-time head of Organised Crime for the PSNI in Northern Ireland and Deputy Director at the National Crime Agency in the UK, Roy McComb has had a decorated.. But still he recalls one case that haunts him today - and one he would do anything to help solve. When a newborn baby girl was found dumped in a plastic bag in his hometown of Carryduff, County Down on March 26, 2002 he became the lead detective and named the child 'Baby Carrie'. Forensics would later determine that she had been stabbed 11 times, her head was crushed and she had been buried elsewhere before the discovery which led to a massive probe. But despite all attempts to find out who she was or where she had come from, the baby's case remains unsolved. Now, Nicola Tallant talks with Roy about the brutality of the crime, the twists and turns of the investigation and his hopes that it will one day be solved b…

Episode 139: The dark secrets of Paul Moody - the disgraced ex-garda convicted of coercive control

Disgraced former garda Paul Moody lost his badge and his image as a womanising charmer when he pleaded guilty to coercive control against his ex-partner. The shocking campaign of harassment, physical and mental abuse, as well as threats and vile messages to the cancer victim, painted him as a deeply devious individual who hid behind his job and his celebrity friends. But behind bars, Moody is now under investigation for historical sexual abuse, while Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has ordered a special case review into how previous complaints about him were handled. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday Independent journalist Ali Bracken, who paints a picture of Moody as a fun-loving socialite who hid a dark side. She explains the dating sites, gaslighting and the possibility of further victims of the garda who was an unpopular character within the force. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 138: The horror crimes of twisted child killer Robert Black

Convicted child killer Robert Black was caught when a curious postman turned his head to look at the unfamiliar van as it passed on his street and in those seconds saw a child’s feet disappear into the back. The sliding-doors moment meant the end of the road for Black but the start of a massive police investigation which would him to some of the most notorious child murders and abductions of the previous decades. Black pleaded guilty to kidnap and was later convicted of five murders and one attempted abduction - but a delve into his past links him to many more and unravels a story of pure evil. Nicola Tallant talks to journalist Zoe Apostolides, whose book End of Innocence focuses on the unsolved cases that bear all the hallmarks of Black’s dark heart. She describes the early life and forgotten crimes of Robert Black and reveals how he moonlighted as a willing delivery driver while staking out victims. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 137: The brutal murder of Mountjoy prisoner Robert O'Connor

The murder of Robbie O’Connor behind the walls of Mountjoy Jail has been a shocking and rare killing of an inmate in the Irish Prison System. Lured to a cell by his attackers and fatally injured in a matter of seconds, his brutal death is a reminder of the highly dangerous and volatile atmosphere that exists at all times in our jails. Nicola Tallant talks to Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy about the motives behind the murder and about the systems in place to make sure such killings are the rarest of occurrences. We discuss the perfect crime scene that was left behind for investigators and why science and not motive will prevail in solving the killing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 136: The life and crimes of sex trafficker 'Mucky' Marty Heaney

When journalist Hugh Jordan first exposed a Belfast taxi driver who’d offered his friend a job as a naked clearer he named him ‘Mucky Marty’. And 12 years on, he had no idea how apt the nickname would become when Martin Heaney pleaded guilty to controlling 10 women in prostitution and became the first person subject to a 'Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Order'. Understood to have pimped out vulnerable and addicted women for decades while pocketing a fortune for their services, Heaney was sentenced to five years for his crimes. Now, Jordan recalls how he first came across 'Mucky' Marty and how he followed his career of sleaze and greed, facing him down a number of times as he groomed young women to sell sex to strangers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 135: The former rising star of Dublin GAA nabbed in €2.7m drugs bust

HE might appear to be just another drug dealer passing through the courts after he was nabbed with a consignment of cocaine. But the story of Patrick Casey tells more about the criminal underworld than most. A rising Dublin football and hurling star, his life was derailed through a drug habit and later when he was jailed for his crimes he met up with some of Ireland's most-feared underworld figures behind bars Nicola Tallant talks with Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy on the jailing of Casey and how his past mistakes finally caught up with him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 134: The targets of the Criminal Assets Bureau

From a notorious robber who splurged his loot on properties and a six-week Florida holiday, to a gangland criminal whose mammy tried to help get back his cash in the attic, the targets of the Criminal Assets Bureau are wide and varied. Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Eamon Dillon as they dip in to the latest CAB listings before the High Court and give listeners a snapshot of the Bureau's work. They talk about the colourful, eagle-eyed Judge who presides over the list, about the cases that come before him and about the lengths some will go to hold on to their ill-gotten gains. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 133: What next for Gerry 'the Monk' Hutch after his failed bid for freedom

THROUGHOUT his life he was known as the greatest gangland player of all – a criminal who worked the system and always appeared to win. But now, Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch is behind bars and his latest bid to stop his trial for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel has failed. Like a chess player, he is now facing the greatest game of his life and one which will set out the course of his future. So what will The Monk do next? Nicola Tallant talks to Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the looming murder trial that will centre on events at the Regency Hotel and the State's case against a legendary criminal mastermind. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 132: The death of feared loyalist terrorist Sam 'Skelly' McCrory

THEY remain Ireland’s most notorious loyalist terrorists, but 'Mad Dog' Johnny Adair and his right-hand man Sam ‘Skelly’ McCrory had been enjoying a retirement of sorts in Scotland. Friends since childhood, they had embraced anarchy, fascism and later formed the murderous UDA 'C Company' which terrorised Northern Ireland for years. But this week, the tight-knit duo were finally separated for good when McCrory died in a tragic accident after battling alcoholism for years, leaving behind Adair to forge his future alone. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Hugh Jordan, author of 'Mad Dog; The Rise and Fall of Johnny Adair and ‘C Company', who became an unlikely confidant of the pair in recent years. He tells me about the fear they brought to the streets of Belfast, about their blood-brother bond which survived through the decades, and about the death of McCrory on a lonely stone stairway See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 131: The life and crimes of Kinahan hitman Imre Arakas

A survivor of the Cold War and of the notorious Russian Gulags, Imre Arakas was an international hitman who washed up on our shores like a character dreamed up in a work of fiction. His paymaster for this trip was Daniel Kinahan, the son of Christy Kinahan Snr and director general of the Irish mafia on the Costa Del Sol where Arakas lived. He’d worked for them before and he’d always been paid swiftly and efficiently on completion of a job He’d flown into Dublin with a tent, a little camping stove, fishing rods and binoculars, looking every bit the nature lover who enjoyed holidays in the great outdoors. Despite his celebrity as an international hitman for hire, Arakas was confident that nobody would know him in Ireland and that he could pass off as a tourist. It didn’t quite work out like that though. This is his story. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 130: The Mammy who helped cover-up for her killer son

Some mothers would do anything for their sons - and Sophie Kokkinos proved her loyalty when she took part in the killing of a man found burning in a London Park. Drug dealer Loike Guei’s body was discovered by a cyclist at Mitcham Common in September 2020, which led police to the home of Raphael Kokkinos, a 34-year-old who was believed to owe him money. But their investigation didn’t stop at the assault which led to his death and instead led officers to the door of his elderly mother who they discovered had helped him in the cover-up. Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Chris Sommers, editor of Total Crime, who covered their trial. He tells me the story of drugs row, a crime scene deep clean and a family matriarch who helped cover up for her son. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 129: The Coolock gangland war that claimed five lives

It was an explosion of violence that claimed five lives in a few months yet it is indicative of the new gangland where bullets do the talking. From the murder of 23-year-old Zach Parker outside a gym to the assassination of a 41 year old Iranian blasted to death as he came to pay respects to his slain mob boss, the heady months of 2019 in Coolock left a devastating legacy. So why did violence spiral out of control in a part of Dublin which often finds itself at the epicentre of gang wars. Was the fallout a freak occurrence or simply a very modern feud Today I’m talking to the Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the jailing of gun killer Wayne Cooney, about the frightening murders than engulfed a group of friends and about those left behind to pick up the pieces. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 128: The international police forces on the trail of the Kinahan cartel

THE US Sanctions on the Kinahan organised crime group and the $5million rewards for the capture of the 'Dapper Don', Christy Kinahan Snr and his criminal sons, Daniel and Christopher Jnr, has been the peak point in the fight by law enforcement against their global cartel. But how do police try to take down a mafia and what does the involvement of the powerful United States mean? How will a piece of legislation passed by Barack Obama in 2011 actually affect the billion dollar empire of the Kinahans? Nicola Tallant talks with Roy McComb, the one time head of Organised Crime for the PSNI in Northern Ireland and the former Deputy Director at the National Crime Agency in the UK. He reveals how police face down the monster of an international drug cartel like the Kinahans and tells how they came into the sights of the US authorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 127: The mystery Irishman suspected of running New Zealand's biggest drug racket

He has been described as one of New Zealand’s most wanted fugitives, accused of masterminding one of the country’s largest shipments of methamphetamine in history. Now, the Irishman at the centre of the 500kg seizure has been arrested while skiing in Spain’s Sierra Nevada region and New Zealand authorities are hoping that he will be extradited within months. Nicola Tallant is joined by Jared Savage, Crime Correspondent with the New Zealand Herald, to discuss the little known suspect Mark ‘Baldy’ Byrne, and how the Dubliner is suspected of heading up a criminal network spanning from Europe, to Asia and into the lucrative drug territories of biker-gang led New Zealand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 126: Ghislaine Maxwell - Epstein's innocent servant or the master manipulator?

Ghislaine Maxwell was the queen of the London social scene and would later mix with New York’s elite, courting billionaires, presidents and celebrities. Her epic fall from grace has portrayed her as a victim of her paedophile lover Jeffrey Epstein - but is their case really all about the abuse of young girls and the fulfilment of his insatiable sexual appetite, or is it far more about money and power? Journalist Matthew Steeples, of online blog 'The Steeple Times', has spent years investigating the case and has tried to follow the Maxwell money trail. He tells Nicola Tallant about his own views on Maxwell and how he believes she was the one who wore the trousers in the relationship with Epstein. We talk hidden cameras, a secret address book and a money trail right into the heart of their twisted world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 125: The unsolved mystery of the Shenandoah Park murders

It was a backpacking adventure that would become an unsolved cold case murder that has haunted Shenadoah National Park in Virginia since 1996, when hikers Lollie Winans and Julie Williams turned up dead in their tent. But now, writer and outdoor expert Kathryn Miles has made an attempt to solve the case and is convinced that the students who were found bound and assaulted were the victims of a serial killer. Nicola Tallant chats with Miles about the case and why she was drawn to it. She tells of the bad policing detailed in her new book Trailed, about the effects of the double murder on outdoor adventurers and about her compelling theory that serial killer Richart Evonitz was actually responsible for the killings. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 124: Two years after the Encrochat hack - how many of gangland's big players have been brought to justice?

The Encrochat phonehack was described as a game changer for law enforcement in its fight against organised crime - and two years on the criminal cases are still flooding into the courts in the UK and Europe. This week, arrests were made on those described as the creators and facilitators of the network in Spain, Dubai and the Dominican Republic. But what have been the effects of the hack and what big players did police manage to take down over the course of the past 24 months? Did Encrochat do anything to stop the trade in cocaine or is the flood of white powder from South America greater than ever? Nicola Tallant chats with Vice World News Global Drugs Editor Max Daly about the arrest and convictions of some of the major players in organised crime – and about the ability of cocaine supply and demand to evade everything thrown at it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 123: The young guns striking fear on the streets of Dublin

A third assassination attempt on the life of convicted drug dealer Gary ‘The Canary’ Carey along with rising tensions in a volatile Dublin feud are stretching the resources of An Garda Siochana. With 24-hour armed support around the young gangs in the Finglas area and investigations suggesting the involvement of three dangerous mobs from the southside of the city in the Carey hit, gangland tensions are rising and with them the pressure on our police. Nicola Tallant is joined by Irish Independent Crime Correspondent Ken Foy to discuss the feuds of Dublin. He tells of a recent hit attempt on Finglas mob boss 'Mr Flashy', about the cost of liking a social media post and about the lone wolf with nine lives who has muscled in on the wrong turf. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 122: The body in the barrel and the secrets of the Las Vegas lake

THE water level at Lake Mead outside Las Vegas has been concerning environmentalists for years as the effects of global warming threatens water supply to several States, including Nevada and neighbouring New Mexico and Arizona. But, as the water levels drop, authorities have been faced with a murder mystery that could be traced right back to the building of the casino town and its link to the mob. Today, Nicola Tallant chats to Geoff Schumacher, Vice President of the Las Vegas Mob Museum, about a body in a barrel and the receding waters that could be throwing up the secrets of Sin City. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 121: The New York murderer who wants to move to Ireland (Part 2)

MEET the man convicted of murdering his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend — who now wants to move to Ireland. Dempsey Lewis, formally known as Dempsey Hawkins, was convicted of murdering Susan Jacobson in New York in 1976, when he was just 16-years-old. During the time in which Susan's body was missing, he participated in searches with her family, leading them away from the area whenever they got close to where her body was hidden. Now in his sixties, Dempsey said he felt relief when police came to arrest him two years after Susan's grisly murder and says the violent memories of that fatal day still haunt him. After spending more than four decades behind bars in the United States, the London-born, New York-raised man was deported to England in 2017 as part of his parole conditions. Now, he says, he would like to continue re-building his life here in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 120: The New York murderer who wants to move to Ireland

MEET the man convicted of murdering his 14-year-old ex-girlfriend — who now wants to move to Ireland. Dempsey Lewis, formally known as Dempsey Hawkins, was convicted of murdering Susan Jacobson in New York in 1976, when he was just 16-years-old. During the time in which Susan's body was missing, he participated in searches with her family, leading them away from the area whenever they got close to where her body was hidden. Now in his sixties, Dempsey said he felt relief when police came to arrest him two years after Susan's grisly murder and says the violent memories of that fatal day still haunt him. After spending more than four decades behind bars in the United States, the London-born, New York-raised man was deported to England in 2017 as part of his parole conditions. Now, he says, he would like to continue re-building his life here in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 119: The story of Joe Joyce jnr - bare-knuckle boxer to slash-hook killer

He is the bareknuckle boxer from a long line of champions - but it will a lifetime before he gets back to fighting. Joe Joyce Jnr said he was only defending himself and his home when he took a slash-hook to a young neighbour, who would later die from his injuries. Despite his claims of self-defence, a jury convicted him of the murder of 18-year-old John Paul McDonagh. So, who is Joe Joyce Jnr and what is bare-knuckle boxing? Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon and author of 'Gypsy Empire' about the traditional way disputes between rival clans are settled, how social media videos are used to goad underground contests and how one of its most infamous characters has fallen foul of a violence that often spills out of competitions into personal lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 118: The rise of 'The Gypsy King' Tyson Fury and his ties to Daniel Kinahan

He's the world heavyweight boxing champ who has just been refused entry to the US as a result of sanctions levelled against the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. So, just what are Tyson Fury's links to mob boss Daniel Kinahan and how far back does the relationship go back? Will the travel ban against Fury and other associates of the Irish mafia chief affect their boxing careers and futures prospects? Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World Deputy Editor, Niall Donald, about the rise of 'The Gypsy King' and the influence of Kinahan on his career and extraordinary comeback. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The twisted secrets of sadistic killer Graham Dwyer (Part 2)

He’s one of Ireland’s most sinister and twisted killers who groomed his vulnerable victim and gave her take a starring role in her own murder. In this two-part Crime World special, written by Niamh O'Connor, we look back on the gruesome details of Graham Dwyer's relationship with Elaine O'Hara, and her tragic, brutal killing. We hear the text messages that passed between the pair in the days before her death, and get a glimpse of the sickening bloodlust hidden inside this seemingly ordinary family man. And we learn how, over a year after her death, a series of miracles would lead police to Elaine O'Hara's body — and her killer. The story of Graham Dwyer and Elaine O'Hara is a shocking one, so, if you're squeamish, this episode isn't one for you. And it definitely isn't one for a younger audience, so be mindful where you listen to it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: The twisted secrets of sadistic killer Graham Dwyer (Part 1)

He’s one of Ireland’s most sinister and twisted killers who groomed his vulnerable victim and gave her take a starring role in her own murder. In this two-part Crime World special, written by Niamh O'Connor, we look back on the gruesome details of Graham Dwyer's relationship with Elaine O'Hara, and her tragic, brutal killing. We hear the text messages that passed between the pair in the days before her death, and get a glimpse of the sickening bloodlust hidden inside this seemingly ordinary family man. And we learn how, over a year after her death, a series of miracles would lead police to Elaine O'Hara's body — and her killer. The story of Graham Dwyer and Elaine O'Hara is a shocking one, so, if you're squeamish, this episode isn't one for you. And it definitely isn't one for a younger audience, so be mindful where you listen to it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 117: Crime Con - where murder meets entertainment

IT'S a Mecca for true crime super fans, where detectives, lawyers and even podcasters become celebrities for a weekend and the public mix and mingle with faces and voices they know so well. Created in America, where the genre has become a major multi-million dollar industry, Crime Con is relatively new to this side of the Atlantic but has already built up a cult following. This week we attended the show to talk to those showcased in a growing media arena where murder meets entertainment. We talk to podcasters, genealogists, detectives and the true crime enthusiasts, who say that victims remain centre stage throughout the event focused on catching killers and untangling mysteries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 116: Michael Stone - a true Loyalist paramilitary or simply a violent psychopath?

He is one of the most notorious killers in the history of the North's Troubles, and when he staged a single-handed attack on a Provisional IRA funeral at Milltown Cemetery in 1988 his face became infamous across the world. Today, Michael Stone is wheelchair bound and poses for selfies with young loyalists who see him as a cult hero for one side of a bitter divide. But was Stone a true loyalist paramilitary or was he simply a violent psychopath with a bloodlust and a desire to cement his name in history? Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Hugh Jordan, who met Stone at the recent Orange Order centenary event at Stormont, and with his friend, Jim Murtagh, who grew up with the convicted killer and who remembers a strange young man who was cruel to animals and who was an outsider in his home and community. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 115: Mob boss Ridouan Taghi and the murder trial of journalist Peter R. De Vries

The trial for two men charged with the murder of celebrity Dutch journalist Peter R. De Vries has heard of the text messages sent between the hit team and an un-named overlord who ordered the shooting in broad daylight on an Amsterdam Street. In court, journalist Jan Meeus, a colleague of mine from the Netherlands and someone who knew Peter personally, watched the harrowing scenes and today he considers the bigger picture of such a senseless and brazen murder. He tells me about the criminal at the very top of the ruthless Mocro Maffia, Ridouan Taghi, the business partner of Daniel Kinahan who police suspect is behind De Vries murder and those of a lawyer and brother of a prosecution witness. He describes the fear that surrounds Taghi’s organisation and how he has challenged the very foundations of the Netherlands. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 114: How I helped crack the case of the infamous 'Golden State Killer'

Retired detective Paul Holes knows just what it is like to immerse himself in a murder mystery. It was his work on the infamous 'Golden State Killer' case which led to the 2018 arrest and conviction of Joseph James DeAngelo Jnr, the man responsible for at least 10 murders and 50 sexual assaults. The case first came to Holes' attention in 1994 when he dusted down the files of the so-called 'East Area Rapist', which he later linked to Southern California’s unidentified 'Original Night Stalker'. But it wasn’t until his retirement - through dogged DNA and genetics work - that the wily old cop solved the mystery and became a household name in the process. Today, we talk to Holes about his career and the extraordinary case of America's most-infamous serial killer. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 113: The 'Lifers' behind bars in Irish prisons

They are the killers and rapists deemed so dangerous that they are serving life sentences behind bars. But what does life mean in Ireland, and while the sentence is mandatory in murder cases, how does a sex offender reach the maximum term lock-up? Nicola Tallant talks to journalist Eamon Dillon about the 350 prisoners doing life behind bars - about the gangland triggermen on the promise of blood money who found themselves counting the cost of their chosen career, about the evil rapists whose crimes abhorred society and about the parole board and what it will mean for those looking for early release. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 112: The truth behind North Korea's cyber-crime gang 'The Lazarus Group'

It is a story that reads like the plot from a Hollywood movie and punches right into the heart of one of the most secretive regimes in the world. Hackers from the so-called ‘Lazarus Group’ first shut down Sony Studios when it attempted to screen a movie about North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and then went on to attempt a daring theft of $1billion dollars from a Bangladesh Bank. But who are the Lazarus Group and how did they emerge from a secretive nation where only the chosen few are allowed online? Nicola Tallant talks to author and journalist Geoff White about the incredible tale played out in his top podcast 'The Lazarus Heist' and in his new book of the same name. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 111: Lisa Smith's journey into the dark heart of Islamic terrorism

She is the former Irish soldier who, a court heard, enveloped herself in the black flag of IS. Now, Lisa Smith awaits her fate in the Special Criminal Court, which heard the details of her journey into the dark heart of Islamic terrorism. During her trial, she was portrayed as a vulnerable, love-lorn woman who believed she was following her religion and beliefs when she travelled to Syria - but instead found herself in a harsh regime and surrounded with violence which she never expected nor condoned. But the State said different, and FBI officers said it was beyond suspicion that she had joined the group. Today Nicola Tallant talks with courts correspondent Eoin Reynolds about the sensational trial which ended with a guilty verdict and a sobbing mother now counting the cost of the choices she made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 110: 'Mr Flashy' and Dublin's dirty gang war

When drug dealer James Whelan was gunned down in Finglas, north Dublin, two months ago gardai braced themselves for an explosion of violence and tit-for-tat attacks. In recent weeks, the home of Whelan’s mother, Sonya, has been firebombed amidst 70 violent incidents linked to the feuding gangs, many of which are flagged on social media postings. But is this Finglas feud the future of gangland wars or is it part of the fallout of the collapse of the Kinahan empire where the so-called ‘Flashy’ gang once held a prominent position of power? Nicola Tallant talks to Sunday World deputy Editor Niall Donald about the dirty warfare on the streets of a Dublin suburb and the consequences of it for policing drug mobs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 3)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

Crime World Long Read: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 2)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

Crime World Long Read: Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh - from low-level dealer to Ireland's most-feared mob boss (Part 1)

When the Criminal Assets Bureau was set up in 1996 after the brutal murder of journalist Veronica Guerin, Thomas 'Bomber' Kavanagh was its first target. A known drug dealer and with a string of convictions, Bomber was then running a lucrative business along with his cousin Gerard ‘Hatchet’ Kavanagh. They were dealing whatever they could get their hands on and making a pretty penny as a result. Hatchet would be shot dead in Marbella in 2014, a hit understood to have been sanctioned by Kavanagh and organised by his then business partner, Daniel Kinahan. But when David Byrne took a bullet meant for Daniel at the Regency Hotel in February 2016 — it changed everything and cemented a blood bond between Kinahan and Kavanagh that would set them in the sights of international law enforcement. Now, in a Crime World special, we reveal the rise and spectacular fall of Bomber's empire and why he became one of Ireland's most-feared mob bosses. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati…

Episode 109 - The brutal murder of Emer O'Loughlin in a mobile home in Galway

Emer O'Loughlin (23) had her whole life ahead of her when she was brutally murdered in a mobile home in Galway in 2005. She had just finished a year-long trip across the world with her boyfriend Shane and they were living in caravan site while they saved money. But on April 8 2005, Shane received a call to say that the mobile home next to theirs, owned by a man named John Griffin, was on fire. Human remains were subsequently found in the burnt wreckage of the caravan and DNA tests confirmed Emer's family's worst fears, that she had died in the blaze. A post-mortem was unable to determine her cause of death and it was not until 2010, after her body was exhumed, that it was discovered that Emer had suffered a violent death before the fire. Today, I’m joined by April Keogh, whose new documentary on TG4 about Emer, explains how her family's lives changed forever the night she was murdered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 108 - How the Prison Services are controlling Ireland's most notorious criminals

Keeping the peace inside Ireland's prison system has never been easy - but the fall of the Kinahan cartel has made life behind bars more dangerous than ever. According to prison officials, there are currently a total of 166 inmates from 14 separate criminal mobs jailed in prisons across the country. However, prison insiders claim that the lines between the different gangs have become so blurred, with the influence of the Kinahan cartel so all pervasive, that the traditional divides can no longer be said to apply. Five prisons, in particular, house the majority of the country’s most notorious gangland criminals. These are: Mountjoy, Portlaoise, Wheatfield, Castlerea and Limerick. Today, I’m joined by Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald to look at how the Prison Service are keeping Ireland's most notorious gangsters under control while behind bars. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 98: How the Kinahan Cartel broke into the U.S. Boxing scene

THE American government has KO’d the Kinahan Cartel with a raft of sanctions that have caused chaos for the mob. But when did the name Kinahan start coming on the radar in the United States and was it the mob's brazen move into top-end boxing that sealed their fate? As Tyson Fury prepares to step into the ring at Wembley Stadium to defend his WBC heavyweight title amid a storm of controversy, Nicola Tallant chats with Jake Donovan, senior writer of BoxingScene.com. He describes how Daniel Kinahan managed to gain a foothold at the very top of U.S. boxing while American law enforcement sought to bring down his family mafia. We discuss the delay the sport and its watchdogs to protect itself from organised crime and we consider the millions of dollars that washes around promoters, managers and even crime bosses each time a punch is thrown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: How Rathkeale's 'Dead Zoo Gang' stole millions in illegal rhino horns

The 'Dead Zoo' is the name the famous Dublin ‘wits’ came up with for the Natural History Museum in the capital. The quirky Victorian-era institution is packed with stuffed exotic animals from around the world – a moose, a hippo, a giraffe, a rhinoceros and a lot more. The 'Dead Zoo Gang' is the name the Sunday World gave the Irish criminals who started buying or stealing rhino horns all over the world. From the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, to auction rooms in Sydney, Australia, the gang spent more than a decade supplying the illegal trade in rhino horns. With buyers in China and Vietnam willing to spend €20,000 and more per kilo, the Irish mob found a way to go big-game hunting without using guns. This is the story, written by Eamon Dillon, of the 'Dead Zoo Gang' and one of the world’s most bizarre crime sprees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 99: The continued 'Manhunt' for double murder suspect Kevin Parle

He was Crime World’s first guest, when the former Scotland Yard detective told us about two gangland murders, a missing fugitive and his quest to find the elusive Kevin Parle. Now, Peter Bleksley reveals the details of his ongoing hunt for Parle and how he now believes he may have been in Ireland and could have an Irish girlfriend. The celebrated podcaster, whose 'Manhunt' series is one of the BBC’s top shows, hasn’t let Covid or the passage of time get between him and his folly, and today he tells Nicola Tallant how he is as determined as ever to find Britain's most-wanted man. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 100: The Kinahan Cartel's partnership with Scotland's most-feared mobs

He is the Scottish politician who says football is contaminated with drug money and that the tentacles of the Kinahan organisation run deep into the heart of the Glasgow underworld. And Russell Findlay knows more than the regular politician about such issues, because for years he worked as an investigative crime reporter who himself became headline news when he was targeted in an acid attack at his home. Nicola Tallant chats with Russell about the deep connections and blood bonds between the Irish and Scottish crime networks. He reveals the killers and criminals who hid out for years in Kinahan safe houses on the Costa del Sol, about the fake-bake tan tycoon who became part of their inner circle and his fears that mobsters and gang bosses have their sights firmly set on football. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 107: How Spanish cops failed to take down the Kinahan's reign in Spain

In 2010, Spanish police announced that they had dismantled the Irish Mafia by shutting down the Kinahan Organised Crime Group. Headed by Christopher Kinahan Snr and managed by his sons Daniel and Christopher Jnr the so-called ‘Cartel’ was estimated to be worth €100 million when it was hit with the killer blow by cops who had spent two years wire-tapping the gang and keeping them under close surveillance. But the scenario sounds all too familiar now and 12 years on the Kinahans are not only still in business, but ten times bigger than they ever were. So what went wrong? Today I’m joined by journalist and author Stephen Breen whose book, 'The Cartel', details the surveillance and wire-tap probe by the Spanish which failed to take the head from the snake. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 106: The gangland fall-out from the EncroChat phone hack

Two gangsters have been convicted in the first murder plot trial involving EncroChat phones, a system described in court as ‘an Amazon for organised criminals’. Despite no DNA evidence, no fingerprints and no weapon, the court found that Paul Fontaine and Frankie Sinclair tried to organise a 'hit' by text. At least 260 other cases in the UK have been successfully convicted since the 'hack' by French and Dutch police in 2020, described as a ‘game changer’ for law enforcement. But why are lawyers from across Europe now writing to the EU Parliament to complain on behalf of their clients and what are the likelihood of some appeals? Nicola Tallant chats with journalist Chris Sommers about the Fontaine-Sinclair case and the raft of criminals caught up in the EncroChat net. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 105: What has changed for the Kinahan Cartel since the U.S. sanctions?

One month since US sanctions were levelled against the Kinahan Cartel and as the dust settles on the dramatic announcements, what exactly has changed for those named and shamed as targets? What exactly does it even mean to be sanctioned and who else is on the list compiled by America’s most powerful? Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Eamon Dillon about the intricacies of a financial circuit breaker, about the growing indications that the Kinahans could be indicted in the US and about the terrorists and narco bosses that they have joined on the toxic list of shame. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 104: The cold case murders that have haunted Northern Ireland

FOR decades, the Troubles in Northern Ireland set the news agenda, engulfed the resources of crime fighting and left thousands of families traumatised. But there were other murders too, many of which journalist Allison Morris believes didn’t get the full attention of police because of the war that raged throughout the province, and because some of the victims simple were not high profile enough. Nicola Tallant is joined by Allison, who recalls the stories of 24-year-old Lisa Dorrian and others like her whose cold cases could now be solved. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 103: The Lithuanian gang who flooded Ireland with heroin through their network of slave dealers

A Lithuanian gang who flew unwitting slaves into Ireland to sell heroin and then starved and beat them sounds like the plot from a TV crime drama – but that’s exactly what happened over the course of 15 years until Gardai, the PSNI and their Eastern European counterparts uncovered the mob. Known as ‘The Russians’, the gang fuelled Northern Ireland’s emerging heroin market from the mid 2000s and later placed agents in Cork, Galway, Waterford and Kerry after being run out of Dublin by bigger gangs. Nicola Tallant talks with journalist Paulie Doyle, who followed the trail of gang leader Kestutis Klemauskas and his violent lieutenants from Lithuania into the heart of loyalist Belfast and onwards to the big cities of Ireland where they pocketed a fortune from the slave dealers. In a lengthy investigation for Vice World News and working with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, he drew together the pieces of a story that make for an incredible insight into organise…

Episode 102: The life and crimes of Kinahan cartel crony Johnny 'Cash' Morrissey

For years flash Johnny Morrissey has been splashing his cash on the Costa del Crime, where his luxury villa is a monument to the Roman Emperor Nero. Larger than life, Morrissey thought he was untouchable - but now that he has been named as the Kinahan mafia’s Costa enforcer and sanctioned by U.S. for laundering dirty money, the vodka boss has been running for cover. But Morrissey is no newcomer to the underworld scene and he has run away before, including from a fishing village in rural Ireland where he tried to land shipments of cocaine on the Cork coastline. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World journalist Eamon Dillon about the incredible life and crimes of the Kinahan crony who Irish neighbours dubbed 'Johnny Cash'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 101: What's next for the WAGS of the Kinahan Cartel?

They are the wives and girlfriends of the first family of crime who have lived a lavish lifestyle built on the Kinahan’s billion-dollar drug business. So, what next for the WAGS of gangland, as the carefully-constructed money machine behind the Kinahan Organised Crime Group crumbles under the weight of U.S. sanctions. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the women behind the men of the underworld, and what the future may hold for them now the tables have turned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 101: What's next for the WAGS of the Kinahan Cartel?

They are the wives and girlfriends of the first family of crime who have lived a lavish lifestyle built on the Kinahan’s billion-dollar drug business. So, what next for the WAGS of gangland, as the carefully-constructed money machine behind the Kinahan Organised Crime Group crumbles under the weight of U.S. sanctions. Nicola Tallant talks with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the women behind the men of the underworld, and what the future may hold for them now the tables have turned. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 100: The Kinahan Cartel's partnership with Scotland's most-feared mobs

He is the Scottish politician who says football is contaminated with drug money and that the tentacles of the Kinahan organisation run deep into the heart of the Glasgow underworld. And Russell Findlay knows more than the regular politician about such issues, because for years he worked as an investigative crime reporter who himself became headline news when he was targeted in an acid attack at his home. Nicola Tallant chats with Russell about the deep connections and blood bonds between the Irish and Scottish crime networks. He reveals the killers and criminals who hid out for years in Kinahan safe houses on the Costa del Sol, about the fake-bake tan tycoon who became part of their inner circle and his fears that mobsters and gang bosses have their sights firmly set on football. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 99: The continued 'Manhunt' for double murder suspect Kevin Parle

He was Crime World’s first guest, when the former Scotland Yard detective told us about two gangland murders, a missing fugitive and his quest to find the elusive Kevin Parle. Now, Peter Bleksley reveals the details of his ongoing hunt for Parle and how he now believes he may have been in Ireland and could have an Irish girlfriend. The celebrated podcaster, whose 'Manhunt' series is one of the BBC’s top shows, hasn’t let Covid or the passage of time get between him and his folly, and today he tells Nicola Tallant how he is as determined as ever to find Britain's most-wanted man. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Crime World Long Read: How Rathkeale's 'Dead Zoo Gang' stole millions in illegal rhino horns

The 'Dead Zoo' is the name the famous Dublin ‘wits’ came up with for the Natural History Museum in the capital. The quirky Victorian-era institution is packed with stuffed exotic animals from around the world – a moose, a hippo, a giraffe, a rhinoceros and a lot more. The 'Dead Zoo Gang' is the name the Sunday World gave the Irish criminals who started buying or stealing rhino horns all over the world. From the Rockies in Denver, Colorado, to auction rooms in Sydney, Australia, the gang spent more than a decade supplying the illegal trade in rhino horns. With buyers in China and Vietnam willing to spend €20,000 and more per kilo, the Irish mob found a way to go big-game hunting without using guns. This is the story, written by Eamon Dillon, of the 'Dead Zoo Gang' and one of the world’s most bizarre crime sprees. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 98: How the Kinahan Cartel broke into the U.S. Boxing scene

THE American government has KO’d the Kinahan Cartel with a raft of sanctions that have caused chaos for the mob. But when did the name Kinahan start coming on the radar in the United States and was it the mob's brazen move into top-end boxing that sealed their fate? As Tyson Fury prepares to step into the ring at Wembley Stadium to defend his WBC heavyweight title amid a storm of controversy, Nicola Tallant chats with Jake Donovan, senior writer of BoxingScene.com. He describes how Daniel Kinahan managed to gain a foothold at the very top of U.S. boxing while American law enforcement sought to bring down his family mafia. We discuss the delay the sport and its watchdogs to protect itself from organised crime and we consider the millions of dollars that washes around promoters, managers and even crime bosses each time a punch is thrown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 97: Christy Kinahan Snr - The Cartel 'Godfather' who hid in plain sight

A week after U.S. sanctions were levelled at the Kinahan mafia an incredible fallout continues, as many run for cover and deny relationships with the top tier. But at the heart of the countless stories and headlines about the Kinahan Organised Crime Group has been an insight into the man at the very top of the tree. While the concentration has been on his son Daniel and his links to boxing, the 'Dapper Don', Christy Kinahan Snr, has been moonlighting as an aviation broker and running a string of social media accounts featuring his musings about the world. Nicola Tallant chats with Sunday World Deputy Editor Niall Donald about the ultimate 'Godfather of Crime' and the two faces he shows to the world. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 96: How sadistic killer Graham Dwyer is one step closer to freedom

He is an evil and sadistic killer who lured his vulnerable victim into a dark world of BDSM and then murdered her as part of his ultimate sexual fantasy. Killer Graham Dwyer is just about the last convict anyone would like to see freed on a legal technicality after he was found guilty of the almost-perfect murder of Elaine O’Hara in 2015. But it seemed he got one step closer to that freedom when a European Court of Justice ruled that some evidence used in his trial was attained in breach of EU laws. Nicola Tallant talks with Barrister Ronan Lupton about the meaning of the legal battle that has seen Europe’s top court rule that Ireland was wrong in the way it accessed some of Dwyer's phone records. He discusses Dwyer’s attempts to have his conviction for murder overturned, the meaning of the European judgement and why ordinary civilians should be concerned about the issues at the heart of his case. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 95: My ordinary 'Old Man' - the UK super-criminal

AS a child Jason Wilson thought he had a regular dad, but by the time he was a teenager his 'Old Man' was well on the way to becoming one of the UK’s most wanted criminals. From his beginnings as a successful businessman, Tony Shipley, who later changed his name to Tony Spencer, had a driving ambition to become rich and to beat the system to get there. But during his career robbing banks, counterfeiting cash a