Crime World

A criminal serving two sentences for involvement in an attempted gangland murder and a shooting of an innocent man has now pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of notiorious mobster Mark’ Guinea Pig’ Desmond eight years ago.Charles McClean from Clondalkin is serving 16 and a half years for facilitating the botched murder of criminal Wayne Whelan who was later shot dead and the doorstep killing of dad of five Thomas McCarthy while he holidayed at his mothers Ballyfermot home.So who is McClean and what was his role in a brutal feud between violent drug dealers and former friends? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Court sketch artist Mike O’Donnell attended the trial of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch at the Special Criminal court and was there the day he walked free.But inspired by his craggy face and interesting expressions the Kerry artist decided to go another step and his exhibition entitled ‘Released’ is set to open this week in Tralee.The artist sat with Hutch in the weeks after he was released and was allowed sketch him further and today he tells Nicola why he believes his upcoming exhibition will move minds and spirits. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High flying big spending John Coone and his wife Pamela lorded it up in their small community splashing their cash on holidays, fast cars and flash jewellery. But the couple who were also claiming social welfare have fallen foul of the Criminal Assets Bureau and he has been named as the leader of a West Cork drugs gang.The pair from Bandon in County Cork tried to hide their dirty money through a Botox clinic, tanning saloons and pubs.Nicola speaks with Eamon Dillon about the regional kingpin and the ongoing efforts to dismantle his drugs operation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sixty eight year old William Finlay was sentenced this week for a minimum of 20 years for murdering his former partner at her County Antrim home in the first case using new domestic abuse legislation.But is the sentence long enough for the life of retired nurse and grandmother Alyson Nelson who at 64 underwent a ‘vicious, unrelenting’ attack motivated by jealousy.Nicola speaks with Belfast Telegraph Crime Correspondent Allison Morris about the new sentence tariffs and the tragic sequence of events that led to the terrible murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Corrupt cop John ‘Spud’ Murphy intervened in a property dispute between a financier and a suspected criminal and allegedly asked for £5,000 for himself and £5,000 for a serving officer, police investigating him for corruption have been told.The disgraced former Superintendent who is currently serving a jail term after he was caught with over a quarter of a million euro worth of cannabis will be asked about that and a number of other allegations involving dirty money.Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about the intimidation of an innocent businessman, a long running property dispute and how the Spud Murphy investigation is the biggest probe of corruption in the history of An Garda Siochana. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The death of Ian Bailey brings to an end his role as a celebrity suspect in the tragic murder of Sophie Toscan Du Plantier.Convicted in a French court of her brutal killing yet still an innocent man under Irish law the life and death of Bailey has been as complex as the murder inquiry that put the West Cork village of Schull on the international map.Today Niall Donald asks Nicola about her own interaction with Bailey over the years, about his creepy personality and about a moment of drama involving the 6 foot 6 suspect and a flock of angry geese. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fears are growing of a bloody revenge attack after the funeral of Christmas Eve gun victim Jason Hennessy.The father of six was buried last weekend in an ‘Incredible Hulk’ themed funeral which was attended by hundreds of friends and family as well as the criminal fraternity.Three busloads of public order Gardaí were brought in along with Armed Support units to patrol the area during the service which featured a green coffin inscribed with the words ‘The Boss Man’ and a green recovery truck.Nicola speaks to Niall Donald about the ongoing fallout from the murder of Hennessy and the killing of gunman Tristan Sherry in a crowded steakhouse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fascinating study of the Bugsy Malones, the gang of children led by a young Gerry The Monk Hutch in Dublin in the 1970s has found that the State let down the north inner city youngsters over and over again.Criminology lecturer Dr Ciara Molloy conducted research into the phenomenon of the youth subculture labelled by the media and treated like hardened criminals.Nicola speaks with Ciara who is based at the University of Sheffield about the Bugsy Malones and what we can learn from the mistakes of our past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

***ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN APRIL 2021***It reads like a script from an Agatha Christie murder mystery – a beautiful young French woman bludgeoned to death at her idyllic holiday home, a shocked community who fear there is a killer amongst them and a struggling police force who find more questions than answers.Twenty-five years since the body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered discarded in the rural Cork village of Schull, two major documentary series are being released.'Murder at the Cottage', directed by award-winning Jim Sheridan and produced by investigative journalist Donal MacIntyre, will be shown on Sky next month and will detail the twists and turns in the case. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Veteran criminal Martin ‘The Viper’ Foley has spent countless hours in courtrooms over the course of his 73 year career.He has appeared both as an accused, during the numerous criminal cases against him, but also as a victim in a rake of civil actions he has taken against others.Recently he agreed that his privacy claims against the State, the Attorney General, the Garda Siochana, the Justice Minister and the Sherriff be struck out years after he first made his complaint.Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about Foley and his litigious actions that have often cost him more than he bargained for. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.