Thurles Information

A male victim, deemed totally innocent, having absolutely no involvement in crime; who was shot six times, as he sat in his Ford Mondeo car outside his Dublin home, just after 5:00pm on December 22nd 2016; died from multiple gunshot injuries to his head, chest, arm and abdomen; State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan has informed the three-judge non-jury Special Criminal Court.

Mr Michael Crotty, aged 40 years, with an address at Slí Aonghusa, Aras na Rí, Cashel, Co Tipperary, has pleaded not guilty to the charge that between October 20th 2016 and December 22nd 2016, within the Irish State and with knowledge of the existence of a criminal organisation, did participate in, or contribute by activity, or by being reckless as to whether such participation or contribution could facilitate the commission by a criminal organisation or any of its members of a serious offence: to with the murder of Christopher (aka Noel) Kirwan, contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal justice Act.

Dr Linda Mulligan who examined the body of the murdered victim, Mr Christopher Kirwan, within 24 hours after he was shot dead, identified eight separate injuries. These injuries were caused by six gunshot wounds with one of the bullets entering the right side of Mr Kirwan’s chest, damaging the aorta, (latter the main artery transporting blood from the heart), before travelling onward to further damage the lower lobe of his left lung, causing further bleeding and lung collapse.

Further gunshot wounds, included the area of the victims chest; his abdomen, and his head; latter entry point located just below the right eye, travelling in a downward angle, together with two punctures to the right arm causing further blood loss; again contributed to the victims death. Toxicology tests on the victim were found to be negative for both drugs and excess alcohol.

The accused, Mr Crotty, stands on trial before the Special Criminal Court accused of facilitating Mr Kirwan’s murder, by topping up a mobile phone on behalf of Mr Sean McGovern, latter not as yet currently before the court.
Mr Sean McGovern, who was one of the men injured during the attack at the Regency Hotel in 2016, has been named in the Special Criminal Court, as a significant figure acting in a leadership role from within the Kinahan organised crime group.

The prosecution alleges that Mr Crotty purchased a mobile phone credit, at a Spar shop in Naas, Co Kildare, on December 21st, 2016. Same was purchased on behalf of the aforementioned Mr Sean McGovern; an acquaintance of Mr Crotty for some years; the latter having made this phone credit purchase, in the knowledge that it would be used, in the commission of the serious crime of murder.

The prosecution intends to call evidence that Mr Kirwan’s movements were being monitored by a tracking device that had been attached to his motor vehicle.

The attack at the Regency Hotel, Whitehall, Dublin, where the Irish criminal Mr David Byrne was shot dead and a number of others injured, when gunmen opened fire during a boxing weigh-in in 2016, is understood to form the background to the unfortunate death of Mr Kirwan.