Niamh Lynch
News reporter @niamhielynch
Thomas Kavanagh, 57, has been sentenced to six years in prison for orchestrating a plot to manipulate authorities while incarcerated. A senior figure in the Kinahan organized crime group, Kavanagh aimed to mislead the National Crime Agency (NCA) into finding a hidden stash of weapons in an effort to influence his sentencing in a multimillion-pound drug smuggling case.
While in prison, Kavanagh sought to guide the NCA to a cache containing 11 “fearsome” weapons. His actions led to the discovery of two holdalls in a field in Newry, Northern Ireland, which were found to contain seven machine guns, three automatic handguns, an assault rifle, and ammunition.
Originally from Dublin, Kavanagh began planning the conspiracy in 2019 while awaiting trial on serious drug charges, including the smuggling of multiple kilos of cocaine and cannabis into the UK. He was sentenced to 21 years in prison in March 2022.
The NCA reported that Kavanagh intended to “fool” them by concealing and later revealing the weapons’ location to negotiate a more lenient sentence. During his time behind bars, he enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, 44-year-old Liam Byrne, and associate Shaun Kent, 38.
Between January 2020 and June 2021, Kavanagh and his associates conspired to acquire as many weapons as possible from the UK, Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. Through his legal representatives, Kavanagh provided a map to the NCA, leading them to a site near Newry.
However, the plot was thwarted when the NCA uncovered incriminating messages on the encrypted EncroChat, which had been decrypted by French authorities. The messages, filled with nicknames and slang, detailed plans to acquire and bury the weapons as directed by Kavanagh.
Kavanagh, Byrne, and Kent all admitted to the conspiracy ahead of their planned trial at the Old Bailey. They pleaded guilty to two charges of conspiring to possess prohibited weapons and two charges of conspiring to possess prohibited ammunition between January 9, 2020, and June 3, 2021.
