CAB now plan to sell the property previously owned by on-the-run mobster Paschal Kelly (48).
KEN FOY AND TIM HEALY – 04 FEBRUARY 2014 02:30 PM
THE Criminal Assets Bureau has seized a home, high powered car and €14,000 from a leading Dublin gangster.
Kelly, who gardai believe is a leading member of the gang that murdered Real IRA terror chief Alan Ryan, was not in court as he is rumoured to be hiding out in Spain.
CAB received the order from the High Court yesterday to seize the home in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan – worth around €250k – along with a 4x4 vehicle, €11,000 from the sale of a Ford Focus, and around €3,000 in cash.
Known as an extremely volatile criminal, it was alleged at a court hearing in April, 2011, that he rang CAB and threatened to kill a garda officer.
Evidence was given that Kelly became annoyed when the CAB officer called to Kelly's partner's Balbriggan home, on April 7, 2011 and Kelly subsequently phoned the officer.
"He stated that if I continued to seek him at that address, or watch that house... he stated 'I will kill you, I will f***ing kill you', before hanging up," the detective told the court hearing.
This led the officer to re-evaluate his own personal security.
Last April Kelly's associates were linked to the seizure of nearly €2 million worth of heroin and a machine gun, discovered at a vacant house at Garryross in Virginia, Co Cavan.
The Ballyjamesduff bungalow, on three-quarters of an acre, was bought in 2004 by Kelly for €190,000 and is now estimated to be worth between €250,000 and €275,000.
Kelly, who is involved in a number of brutal gangland and personal feuds, was described in court as having links to a tiger kidnapping gang.
The Herald has learned that he has been hiding out in rural Spain after getting bail in Northern Ireland last October where he was facing serious money laundering charges.
Sources say he ripped up electronic tags that had been placed on him and used a disguise to get out of the country after that.
His girlfriend has not been seen at her north Dublin home for months since he fled Ireland.
