Limerick criminal jailed over his role in attempted murder of convicted drug dealer

A LIMERICK criminal who helped the McCarthy-Dundon crime gang during the attempted murder of convicted drug dealer Christy Keane eight years ago has been jailed for six and-a-half years.

Noel Price, aged 45, of Kileely Road, Kileely has 90 previous convictions which include criminal damage, possession of drugs, burglary and assault.

The defendant previously received a 12-year sentence for arson in 2001 when he threw a petrol bomb at the front window of a property belonging to Christy Keane's sister.

He was also jailed for the unlawful seizure of a vehicle occupied by three young children. Two of the children fled from the car and it was only later that Price realised one of the young children was still in the vehicle.

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The Special Criminal Court heard that he dropped the child off at the side of the road before he was apprehended by gardai. Price was jailed for five years for that offence.

Sentencing Price at the non-jury court this Thursday, presiding judge Mr Alexander Owens noted the defendant had lent himself to a criminal enterprise by going to Dublin with a very senior member of the organised crime group and then driving back to Limerick in convoy. 

The judge added: "He [Price] could but not have known when he headed to Dublin and collected the car that it would be used in criminal activity. He knew all about the gang and the feud with the Keane-Collopy gang. The getting of the car had to be important, something important had to go down," he said. 

Last month, Price pleaded guilty to a charge "that having knowledge of the existence of the McCarthy Dundon criminal organisation, he assisted in making available a vehicle to that criminal organisation with the intention of facilitating the commission by the aforesaid organisation of the attempted murder of Mr Christy Keane or being reckless as to same."   

The offence, which comes under section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, was alleged to have occurred between June 27 and June 29, 2015, both dates inclusive.  

Keane was shot a number of times as he parked his car on the grounds of the University of Limerick where he went for an early-morning gym session in June 2015.

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He survived the shooting after making his escape via a nearby running track and was subsequently hospitalised in a critical condition.  

Keane, a convicted drug dealer,  was sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2000 for possession of €240,000 worth of cannabis.  

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Owens said as a result of a previous offence committed by Price in 2019 he was now in prison with an anticipated release date of August 2024.

The judge also referred to Price's previous convictions saying he had a very poor criminal record with "repeated recidivism". 

He set the headline sentence at ten years' imprisonment. However, a reduction of 25% was applied to take into account his guilty plea and the unfortunate circumstances of his addictions resulting in a sentence of seven years and six months.

Taking proportionality into account and the fact Price had been in prison since 2020 the court suspended the final year. 

Mr Justice Owens, sitting with Judge Elma Sheahan and Judge Alan Mitchell, sentenced Price to seven years and six months imprisonment with the final year suspended.