Courts

Search of McGuinness premises part of ‘major’ inquiry into former Quinn property attack

Search of Dublin premises arose from sighting of vehicle at yard prior to its involvement in arson attack in Co Cavan

Fran McGuinness claims he has been the victim of Garda harassment over several years because he is a brother of Cyril McGuinness. Photograph: Collins Courts

Wed Apr 10 2024 - 17:55

A retired garda superintendent has told the High Court that a search of the business yard of a brother of the late gangster Cyril “Dublin Jimmy” McGuinness was part of a major investigation into millions of euro in damage to former Quinn Group property.

Fergus Treanor said a search carried out at the Swords, Co Dublin premises of Fran McGuinness (62) in August 2014 arose specifically out of the sighting of a Jeep Cherokee at the yard shortly before the vehicle was used in an arson attack on the Quinn Packaging Plant in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan on March 13th, 2014.

Mr McGuinness, a truck dealer originally from Pinnock Hill, Swords, currently living on the Dublin Road, Newry, Co Down, claims he has been the victim of Garda harassment over several years because Cyril McGuinness, who was the suspected mastermind behind a series of attacks on former Quinn premises in 2013/14, is his brother.

The court heard Operation Larissa was set up by gardaí to investigate those behind the attacks.

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Cyril McGuinness died in 2019 of a cardiac arrest shortly after he collapsed during a police search of his home Derbyshire, England. Fran McGuinness told the court he had been estranged from his brother for many years.

Mr McGuinness is suing the Garda Commissioner and the State over what he says was the unlawful search in August 2014 of his truck dealing business premises next door to the house where he grew up. He claims gardaí wrongly associated him with the Quinn attacks and that information used to swear the warrant for the search was untrue.

He claims gardaí caused unnecessary damage to two gates at the premises by using an acetylene torch and seized important documents for his UK truck trading companies. They also took envelopes containing £2,000 and €1,800 which he said were commission payments for other traders that he later had to make up for.

The defendants deny the claims, say the search was lawful, that there were no envelopes containing money and that copies of other documents seized were returned to Mr McGuinness.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Treanor said some €600,000 damage was done to the Quinn Group packaging plant and the lives of 30 employees there were put in danger in 2014. Mr Treanor, who was the lead officer on the investigation into the Quinn attacks at the time, said this incident was one of a number that happened almost every fortnight around that time.

The attacks ultimately caused some €6 million of damage to property and put people’s lives at risk, Mr Treanor said. The frequency and nature of the attacks would suggest they were done by highly organised criminals, he said.

The attack involving the Jeep Cherokee saw the roof of the vehicle cut off, it being packed with burning tyres and driven into the lobby of the packaging operation. Gardaí were able to establish the vehicle had been seen in Fran McGuinness’s yard in Swords at a specific time and date, he said.

A warrant was obtained for the premises to search for any evidence that might develop towards a criminal prosecution, he said.

Asked by Gerard Clarke SC, for the defendants, if he apprehended any danger at the Pinnock Hill search, Mr Treanor said he had been aware of the McGuinness family for more than 30 years. He briefed Det Sgt James Fraher, who led the search, of potential dangers including the risk of violence, obstruction and the possibility for a major confrontation.

Under cross-examination by Eanna Mulloy SC, instructed by solicitor John Geary, Mr Treanor rejected the suggestion that gardaí were heavy handed or excessive in their approach to the search. He said he had been investigating crimes where there had been property damage of €6 million and people’s lives put at risk. He was quite satisfied the search was carried out properly.

The case, which is being heard by Mr Justice David Nolan, was adjourned to Thursday.

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