Extortion trial hears of 'devastating' threats to man

A Drogheda businessman who had a pipe bomb and bullets left at his front door and was threatened that he would "end up like Kevin Lunny", has described the devastating impact of threats to his life has had on him and his family.

Neil Kelly gave a victim impact statement before Dundalk Circuit Court, during the sentence hearing of three men who pleaded guilty to extortion.

Thomas O'Gorman, aged 63, with an address at Old Balrath Post Office, Navan, along with 61-year-old Francis O'Hanlon, of Ballyshane, Kilmore West, Dublin, and 52-year-old Darren Cole, of Foxhill Close, Coolock, Dublin, each pleaded guilty to one count of demanding money with menaces.

Judge Dara Hayes described their offending as being part of a "greater scheme of extraordinary intimidation".

After hearing the evidence in the case, he said there was a lot to consider, but that a custodial sentence was inevitable, and he remanded all three men in custody to be sentenced next month.

Sergeant Aaron Gormley gave evidence to the court, which heard Mr Kelly and one of the defendants, Thomas O'Gorman, were ex-business partners and had owned Fusion Niteclub in Drogheda together.

The court heard their business relationship broke down, and resulted in a number of appearances before the commercial courts, where it was difficult to get an agreement on the division of assets.

In August 2023, while Mr Kelly was in Spain at his own stag party, his partner opened their front door to discover an incendiary device and four bullets.

Sgt Gormley told the court that house and surrounding area had to be evacuated. Explosives experts attended the scene and it was determined to be a viable device.

The court heard Mr Kelly then began receiving threatening text messages from a Northern Irish phone number. Among them were references that he would "end up like Kevin Lunny".

'Debts don't die with you'

Further texts made threats to Neil Kelly and his family, including being told that "debts don't die with you" and that there was "no point in being the richest man in the graveyard".

Sgt Gormley confirmed to the court that gardaí were unable to identify the person who placed the pipe bomb at Mr Kelly's home, but that it was a "lone male on foot".

The court also heard that gardaí could not identify the user of the Northern Ireland phone number linked to the text messages.

On 13 October 2023, Mr Kelly had a meeting with Thomas O'Gorman, along with their solicitors, during which Mr O'Gorman requested the sum of €2.5 million from Mr Kelly.

The day before, Mr Kelly received a threatening message, telling him he had an opportunity to "right a few wrongs".

At a later date, he received a phone call from a man with a Dublin accent.

Three in-person meetings followed between November and December 2023 at the City North Hotel in Gormanstown, all of which were recorded by Mr Kelly.

The first meeting was between Mr Kelly and another defendant, Francis O'Hanlon.

During this meeting, the court heard that Francis O'Hanlon told Mr Kelly that he owed approximately €1.1 million to Thomas O'Gorman.

He was told the money was needed to repay debts that Mr O'Gorman owed to men in Liverpool.

At the second meeting, the court heard the amount of money demanded from Mr Kelly increased to €1.5 million.

At a third meeting, all three defendants, Thomas O'Gorman, Francis O'Hanlon and Darren Cole, were present.

Sergeant Gormley said that Darren Cole was initially introduced to by Francis O'Hanlon to Mr Kelly as "John", who was there on behalf of people demanding money in Liverpool.

Thomas O'Gorman was also present at this meeting.

Sgt Gormley said that Thomas O'Gorman was "very relaxed" and "didn't appear under any stress or pressure".

Darren Cole demanded the money be paid, and said it needed to be sorted or things would "end badly".

The court heard that Darren Cole had been present in the background at the two previous meetings, but only had a "physical involvement" in the third meeting.

Francis O'Hanlon was arrested in February 2024 and took part in 10 interviews.

He made admissions about making phone calls to Mr Kelly and meeting him on three occasions. He also admitted he knew Darren Cole and told gardaí the whole scenario was set up by a businessman.

He told gardaí there was "no way" he would have sent sinister messages and that he never threatened Mr Kelly. He said the first time he heard about bullets was at the garda station.

The court heard that Mr O'Hanlon had presented himself as a business liaison in this case.

Darren Cole was interviewed 11 times by gardaí. He denied any knowledge of the pipe bomb but did admit involvement in the third meeting with Mr Kelly.

'Playing a role on the day'

He said the first time he heard about the pipe bomb and bullets was at the garda station, and that the false name used during the meeting was "thrown up" on the day and that as far as he was concerned he was "playing a role on the day".

When Tom O'Gorman was interviewed by gardaí, he denied any involvement in a plan to extort any money from Mr Kelly.

Sergeant Gormley said he was interviewed six times and emphasised there was a business dispute between the parties.

He also denied any knowledge of Francis O'Hanlon or Darren Cole.

He told gardaí that he did not arrange the meeting he attended in the City North Hotel.

Sergeant Gormley told the court "it should be noted that following the meeting on the 5th of December 2023, all three men met in Mr O'Gorman's car for discussion".

'Devastating and lasting impact' on victim

In his victim impact statement to the court, Mr Kelly described the "devastating and lasting impact" on him and his family.

He said he believed his home was targeted at a time when he was abroad and his family was vulnerable "to destroy our sense of peace and safety in our home".

He said his wedding was cancelled, and described how his family moved around to avoid being in their home for safety reasons.

He described travelling in separate cars from his family for fear they would be "caught in the cross fire".

Mr Kelly said that at one time, Tom O'Gorman was his best friend and business partner, and had spent Christmas at their house. He described him as someone he would have trusted with his life.

But instead, he said that Mr O'Gorman wanted €2.4 million and "went to extreme methods to try to get it".

Mr Kelly says he now struggles to trust people. He said that when Francis O'Hanlon made him believe he was dealing with serious criminals, claiming that Tom O'Gorman borrowed money to buy the nightclub and now Mr Kelly owed them money.

Mr Kelly said Darren Cole made a number of threats in that third meeting.

He told the court that there was at least one other man involved, a fourth man believed to be in Northern Ireland. He believes the fourth man placed the bomb and bullets at his home.

Mr Kelly said that he has "immense fear" because that man is unknown. Mr Kelly said he spent months believing he would be murdered and that the trauma of what happened has deeply affected his mental and physical health, along with his family and his business.

Addressing Mr Kelly, Judge Dara Hayes said that he had been through an extraordinarily awful ordeal.

Lawyer for Darren Cole, Kathleen Leader, told the court that he wanted to apologise sincerely in his actions in meeting Mr Kelly and a letter of apology was given to the court.

She said he lives with his parents and looks after his grandchild and works occasionally as a painter decorator and on building sites.

She said that Darren Cole had pleaded guilty to extortion on one date relating to his attendance at the meeting on 5 December, and not in relation to the pipe bomb, bullets or messages.

Ms Leader asked the court to look at this as being involved in the lowest level of criminality. She also asked the court to take account of his guilty plea and letter of apology.

Sgt Gormley earlier confirmed that Darren Cole has 18 historic previous convictions, mostly relating to road traffic offences.

'Bitterly regrets' what he did

Lawyers for Francis O'Hanlon also outlined an apology on his behalf to Mr Kelly and his family.

He is a 61-year-old taxi driver with no previous convictions. His lawyer said that his involvement was "out of character" and he "bitterly regrets" what he did.

He also said while he pleaded guilty to the charge of extortion, there was "no suggestion or evidence he was involved in any way of placing of a pipe bomb or bullets", and that was also true of the messages from the Northern Ireland number.

He asked the court for as lenient a sentence as possible.

James McGowan, counsel for Thomas O'Gorman, said he was a 63-year-old father of two grown up children and was a grandfather. He said he had no previous convictions.

His lawyer said Thomas O'Gorman may have been slow to own up to his wrongdoing, but that he has demonstrated that in his plea.

He also read a letter of apology, handed to the court, in which he said he took full responsibility for what he has done, and said he deeply regrets his behaviour.

The letter from Thomas O'Gorman said he sincerely apologises to Mr Kelly and his family for the harm caused.

He said he was "disappointed in myself how our business relationship resulted in this".

Judge Dara Hayes said that there was clearly very serious offending involved.

He said he accepts the submissions that he will sentence each defendant in respect of the offence they pleaded guilty to, but added that this was part of a "greater scheme of extraordinary intimidation aimed at the Kelly family".

He said there was a lot to consider and that a custodial sentence seems inevitable.

Judge Hayes remanded all three men in custody to be sentenced on 15 June.