Book about Kinahan crime gang defamed me, says Dubliner

A Dublin man claims he has been defamed in a book about the Kinahan crime cartel.

The claim has been made by Derek Cervi who has brought High Court proceedings arising out of a reference to him in the book The Cartel- The Shocking true story of the rise of the Kinahan crime cartel and its deadly feud with the Hutch gang which was published in May.

Mr Cervi claims the book, in which he is referred to in respect of one incident, wrongly links him to criminality.

Mr Cervi says he has never been involved in criminality and the book has brought him unwanted attention and is concerned for his and his family’s safety.

As a result he has brought High Court proceedings against the publisher Penguin Random House Ireland Limited and the authors of the book written journalists Owen Conlon and Stephen Breen.

As well as seeking damages for alleged defamation Mr Cervi, of Russell Avenue, East Wall, Dublin 3 seeks various orders including one preventing the defendants from further publishing or disseminating statements about Mr Cervi in the book.

He also seeks an orders from the court correcting what he claims are defamatory statements and that all unsold copies of the book be recalled.

The matter was briefly mentioned before Mr Justice Michael Twomey at the High Court on Friday.

The Judge, following an ex parte application by Benedict O’Floinn Bl instructed by Kent Carty Solicitors, gave the applicant permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the publisher and the authors.

The Judge made the matter returnable to Wednesday of next week.