Kinahan cartel mobster Liam Byrne has been jailed to five years in prison, while gang boss Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh was jailed to six further years
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Co accused man Shaun Kent, who was also involved in the conspiracy, received six years, for which he’s entitled to half off - meaning he effectively has already served his sentence and is entitled to imminent release. Judge Katz said Byrne had served 192 days in custody in Spain and awarded him that time in credit to his sentence.
The Judge told Kavanagh he was “at the heart of conspiracy,” and that even from behind prison bars he was “still able to pull the strings.” Before mitigation the judge said he would have parted a sentence of 10 years on Kavanagh, and eight years on Byrne and Kent. In mitigation a Defence barrister for Liam Byrne later told the court that his client “never wants to find himself in this position again,” and “wants to find himself living a good and honest life,” when he is released.
Prosecuting Counsel told Judge Katz that it was clear from the messages that “sizable sums of money were required to be exchanged for these firearms” - with the court later hearing how sums of £14,000 and E86,000 needed to be handed over for them. Kavanagh was referred in the chats, which were uncovered by the NCA after Enchrochat was hacked into in 2021, as ‘Pops’ and ‘Big Head,’ - and the prosecution stated that there was “every likelihood” his plot would have been successful had the encrypted platform not been broken into.
A man who cannot be legally named because he is before the courts was described by the prosecution as being directed by Thomas Kavanagh to “drive plans forward” and used an encrypted handle to communicate and act as his “eyes and ears on the ground.” That man is also alleged to have stated: “He’s just out to save his own neck,” and claimed that Kavanagh had people “knocking on doors” to get “tools” brought over asap.” The prosecution stated that it was clear from the face of these messages that an associate of Thomas Kavanagh was not just contacting people on Encrochat about getting the weapons, but that he was actually visiting other people’s properties about it too.
There were messages again referencing “10 big ones” and how they would be enough. On April 18 an associate was informed on Encrochat that Liam Byrne “could source glocks for £3,500 each,” and a message referencing how Byrne could “sort tools” was also sent. He got back in touch with that user on May 19 and asked if the tolls had been supplied in ‘flat.’ On May 13 Byrne was sent a picture in an encrypted message of a handgun and a message about “10 big yokes.” On May 14 Kent meanwhile sent a message to another associate about obtaining 25 ‘things’ - i.e. firearms from the Netherlands. On May 27 the prosecution said there were further messages about guns, in particular a reference to glocks.
Then it transpired that a weapon purchased from this person by Kent was in fact a plastic imitation firearm - namely a BB gun that was “weighted down” to give the feel of a real gun. This, the prosecution said “caused a considerable falling out,” and the seller ultimately agreed to give Kent back £7,500 “out of my own dough.”
A message referenced talking to ‘Big Head’ and how he had someone knocking on his door and talking in code about tools. The associate said Kavanagh was under “pressure in there” on another level 23 hours a day, “waiting on court date, waiting on other yokes, madness.” On June 13 Encrochat collapsed, and police around the world gained access to conversations between criminals.
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