Former Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council jailed for three years and three months

A former Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council who pleaded guilty to laundering over €2.6m through a number of companies linked to Cyril 'Dublin Jimmy’ McGuinness has been jailed for three years and three months following a lengthy sentence hearing at Longford Circuit Court.

Frank Kilbride (70), of Aughakilmore, Ballinalee, Co Longford, appeared before Longford Circuit Court this afternoon, having previously pleaded guilty to three counts of money laundering sums totalling €2,604,564.05 through three bank accounts on dates between October 2017 and March 2018.

Mr Kilbride, taking to the stand this afternoon after his legal team applied to come off record, pleaded with the judge for leniency.

"I don't want to die in prison," he said, "I want to be at home with my wife and my four collie dogs."

Judge Kenneth Connolly, passing judgement today, noted that there was a "spectre" of duress in the case, but said that money laundering "facilitates the financing of criminality".

He proceeded to sentence Mr Kilbride to four years and six months in prison, suspending the final 15 months for a period of three years subject to a number of conditions, including that he does not register any company or business for three years post-release.

He concluded by backdating the sentence to last Friday, July 26.

Prior to the sentencing hearing Detective Garda Rhona Bohan, told the court that, in November 2019, a number of searches were carried out in this jurisdiction, Northern Ireland and Buxton, UK, on foot of warrants issued in respect of the assault and abduction of Quinn Industrial Holdings Director, Kevin Lunney.

During the course of those searches, a partial AIB bank statement was discovered in the name of WOI Plant Hire & Supplies Ltd, which provided a narrative relating to another company, TJO Developments.

On November 29, 2019, Mr Kilbride made contact with Gardaí to make a statement regarding TJO Developments, after he received documentation from the Revenue Commission regarding an outstanding VAT bill.

Mr Kilbride told Gardaí that, in the spring of 2017, he had been approached by a third party looking to see if he had any companies for sale. Mr Kilbride sold the man TJO Developments for a sum of €3,000.

A number of months later, Mr Kilbride was informed by a woman working in a North Longford bank, that the account for TJO Developments was still in his name, with money going through it. The bank worker advised him to “change the numbers” on the account.

Following a change of details on the account, Mr Kilbride said a man known to him as Dublin Jimmy, arrived at his house with two men - one from Louth and the other from Northern Ireland - to talk about the account.

Dublin Jimmy told Mr Kilbride that there was €100 left in the account, which he should “hold onto for medical expenses”. Mr Kilbride perceived that as a threat, the court heard.

When Mr Kilbride contacted the third party who had purchased the account on behalf of Dublin Jimmy - who Mr Kilbride later learned was Cyril McGuinness - he was told to “pass no heed on Dublin Jimmy, he’s only blowing steam”.

During the course of the investigation, Gardaí became aware of two Irish bank accounts associated with TJO Developments, one of which had moved a total of €1,727,427.28, and the other which moved €867,143.80 to companies across Ireland, the UK and Europe.

Gardaí also became aware of a third bank account, which was Mr Kilbride’s personal account. This account was linked to the moving of approximately €10,000 in funds.

Vincent Heneghan, Senior Counsel for Mr Kilbride said the case was one of “a man who should know better, and a man who acted stupidly out of desperation in a case of intimidation”.

“There’s no doubt he involved himself, he was active himself and an important cog in a wider enterprise. He unwittingly and stupidly allowed himself to be used,” said Mr Heneghan.