The seven Kinahan thugs jailed over plots to murder Hutch associate James 'Mago' Gately

The Special Criminal Court has heard that there is a threat to Gately’s life from criminals who believed him to be involved in the Regency Hotel murder of Kinahan cartel associate David Byrne in February 2016.

Glynn (37) from Fitzgibbon Court, Dublin 1, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years behind bars at the Special Criminal Court on Monday after the court heard he put a tracker on Gately’s car.

A total of seven men have now been jailed in relation to two separate plots against Gately which took place one after another in April and May 2017.

The first plot took place in April 2017 and centred around Estonian hitman Imre Arakas who was brought to Ireland to murder Gately with logistical support from Kinahan-linked criminals.

The second took place in May 2017 when Kinahan-linked gunman Caolan Smyth shot Gately five times at a petrol station near Dublin airport but failed to kill his target.

Glynn was part of the April 2017 plot along with a number of other men including Arakas, Peader Keating, David Duffy and Stephen Fowler.

Sentencing Douglas Glynn at the non-jury court on Monday, presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt said the three judges were satisfied that the management and planting of the tracking device by Glynn placed him "higher" in the criminal organisation than his co-accused David Duffy and Stephen Fowler.

The court noted that the criminal organisation which Glynn had assisted is particularly serious, well organised and well financed.

Glynn has 16 previous convictions mostly for minor road offences. He has one conviction for possession of drugs for sale and supply.

Glynn had initially pleaded not guilty to involvement in the plot but changed his plea last year.

Another man, man Martin Aylmer from (35) from Casino Park in Marino, is currently awaiting trial before the Special Criminal Court in relation to the plot.

Glynn is one of seven men to be jailed over plots against Mago.

Imre Arakas

Imre Arakas was the first to be jailed over the plots when he was sentenced to six years behind bars after pleading guilty to conspiring with other to murder Gately in Northern Ireland between April 3rd and April 4th, 2017.

Arakas had been contracted by the Kinahan cartel to carry out the shooting and boasted in messages that he would take out Gately with “one shot in the head”.

He had bought a wig in Dublin and a used encrypted Blackberry phone to receive information about the movements and location of Gately.

He also requested a silencer for the job.

He was to be paid a five-figure sum for carrying out the hit.

Stephen Fowler

Stephen Fowler (62) was sentenced to six years and nine months with 15 months suspended at the Special Criminal Court last October for his "logistical" involvement in the murder plot between December 7, 2016, and April 4, 2017.

The court previously heard that Fowler had taken responsibility for a debt associated with his son Eric Fowler (34), who was shot dead in his driveway at Blakestown Cottages in December 2018.

Fowler was under surveillance when he picked up Arakas outside Barry’s Hotel in Dublin and brought him to his home at Blakestown Cottages on April 3, 2016.

He was arrested with Arakas the following day.

Peadar Keating

Clondalkin gangster Peadar Keating was the main Irish based criminal directing the plot on the ground.

In September last year he was jailed for 11 years for directing the crime group in the plot.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said that Keating, of Rowlagh Green, Clondalkin, Dublin, was a "senior figure" for the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, which he described as being a "well-organised, complex, sinister and dangerous organisation".

He was spotted in the vicinity of Gately’s apartment complex in Belfast in the days before Arakas arrived into Ireland first checking CCTV cameras before returning a second time when a tracking device was placed on Gately’s car by Glynn.

Another tracking device had been placed on a vehicle belonging to a relative of Gately.

Keating has close links to senior Kinahan cartel figure Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh who is currently in prison in the UK as he awaits sentencing over his operation smuggling over €45m worth of cannabis and cocaine.

He was also the brother-in-law of Kinahan money launderer Jason Carroll who was shot dead in 2013.

David ‘Blinky’ Duffy

David ‘Blinky’ Duffy, who was recruited into the plot by Keating, was sentenced to five years last July for his involvement in the plot.

Duffy, from Greenfort Lawns in Clondalkin, booked flights for Arakas, sourced a vehicle used by the gang and sourced a tracking device placed on Gately’s car.

He was also involved in planned cleaning of a car of fingerprints, has a pack of SIM cards intended for use in burner phones and he was in "frequent" contact with Keating over the plot.

When the Arakas plot on Gately’s life was foiled by gardai, the cartel wasted no time in arranging another plot.

Caolan Smyth

On May 10, 2017 just weeks after gardai foiled the Arakas plot, Kinahan gunman Caolan Smyth shot Gately five times outside the Topaz petrol station near Dublin Airport.

Gately, who was wearing a bullet proof vest and received treatment from an off-duty nurse at the scene, survived the attack.

Four of the shots hit the bullet proof vest while one hit Gately’s jaw.

Smyth had Gately under surveillance before carrying out the shooting.

He had strong links to other figures in the Kinahan cartel and was also involved in separate feud in Coolock and surrounding areas.

Smyth was himself the target of a murder plot by associates of Sean Little who was shot dead as part of that feud.

Little’s associates blamed Smyth for the shooting.

Smyth was sentenced to 20 years for the hit attempt in February last year and shouted “five World Cups and I’ll be out” at his sentence hearing.

Gary McAreavey

Gary McAreavey, who was not a gang member, was sentenced to three years for helping Smyth burn out the getaway vehicle after the attempt on Gately’s life.

McAreavey (53) of Gort Nua, Station Road, Castlebellingham, Co Louth, had pleaded not guilty to acting to impede an apprehension or prosecution by purchasing petrol and assisting in the burning out of the vehicle, a black Lexus, used in the attempted murder at Newrath, Dromiskin, Co Louth on the same day as the shooting.

The court heard he only bought the petrol used to burn out the vehicle after Smyth contacted him after the shooting.