Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 21031Money laundering · Co. Limerick · 17 Apr 2019

Mackin jailed for money laundering in Limerick

Gerard Mackin, a 40-year-old man originally from west Belfast, pleaded guilty at the Special Criminal Court on 13 March 2023 to laundering €4,780 in cash found in a car parked outside his house at Rhebogue Road, Limerick, on 17 April 2019. He was extradited from Alicante, Spain, and arrested at Dublin Airport on 5 December 2022 under a European Arrest Warrant. On 19 May 2023, Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced him to three years and six months in prison, backdated to his arrest date. The judge noted the money was handled in the context of serious organised criminality in the Limerick area.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court13 Mar
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced19 May
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
Mackin pleaded guilty to laundering €4,780 as the proceeds of criminal behaviour.
Where
The cash was found in a car parked outside Mackin's house at Rhebogue Road, Limerick.
When
The offence date was 17 April 2019.
Cause
Gardaí observed a car suspiciously parked outside Mackin's house.
Investigation
  • The driver of the car was found with €4,780 in cash, an Aquaris phone and an iPhone.
  • A European Arrest Warrant was issued on 7 April 2022 and Mackin was extradited from Alicante, Spain.
  • Detective Garda Stephen Ahern arrested Mackin at Dublin Airport on 5 December 2022.
Charges
The charge was under Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act of 2010.
In court
The plea was entered at the non-jury Special Criminal Court on 13 March 2023, with Mr Justice Tony Hunt presiding alongside Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell.
Sentence
Mackin was sentenced to three years and six months, backdated to 5 December 2022, after a headline sentence of four years and eight months was reduced in mitigation.
Other details
  • Mackin is originally from west Belfast and has a previous conviction for assault causing harm.
  • The judge said the money was handled in the context of serious organised criminality in the Limerick area.
32 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatMackin pleaded guilty to laundering €4,780 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatMackin is aged 40 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whatGerard Mackin was jailed for three and a half years for money laundering. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whereThe money was allegedly proceeds of criminal behaviour at Rhebogue Road, Limerick (limerickleader.ie)
  • whereThe laundered money was the proceeds of criminal behaviour at Rhebogue Road in Limerick. (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe offence date was 17 April 2019 (limerickleader.ie)
  • whenThe offence took place on April 17, 2019. (limerickleader.ie)
  • causeGardaí saw a car suspiciously parked outside Mackin's house. (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationDetective Garda Stephen Ahern arrested Mackin at Dublin Airport on 5 December 2022 (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationA European Arrest Warrant issued on 7 April 2022 (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationThe driver of the car was found with €4,780 in cash, an Aquaris phone and an iPhone. (limerickleader.ie)
  • investigationMackin was arrested at Dublin Airport on December 5 under a European Arrest Warrant. (limerickleader.ie)
  • chargeThe charge was under Section 7 of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act of 2010 (limerickleader.ie)
  • chargeGerard Mackin was convicted of possessing crime cash. (extra.ie)
  • chargeMackin pleaded guilty to laundering €4,780 as the proceeds of criminal behaviour. (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe plea was entered at the non-jury Special Criminal Court (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtMr Justice Tony Hunt presided, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Alan Mitchell (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe matter was adjourned to 30 March for sentence (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtRonan Kennedy SC was defending and requested a governor's report from Portlaoise Prison (limerickleader.ie)
  • courtThe sentence was handed down at the Special Criminal Court. (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceGerard Mackin was jailed. (extra.ie)
  • sentenceThe judge set a headline sentence of four years and eight months, reduced to three years and six months after mitigation. (limerickleader.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentence was backdated to December 5, 2022, when Mackin first went into custody. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin was extradited from Alicante in Spain in December 2022 (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin is originally from west Belfast (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin has a previous address at Rhebogue Road (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the money was handled in the context of serious organised criminality in the Limerick area. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the sum was at the lower end of the scale but the circumstances were not. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherThe judge considered Mackin's early guilty plea in mitigation. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin was extradited from Alicante in Spain. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin has one previous conviction for assault causing harm. (limerickleader.ie)
  • otherMackin is described as a Belfast native with a previous address in Limerick. (limerickleader.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 19 May2023
    Sentencedlimerickleader.ie, follow-up
    Notorious criminal jailed for money laundering following cash seizure in Limerick

    Sentencing report: three-and-a-half-year sentence at the Special Criminal Court, the 2019 cash seizure details, his extradition from Spain and his earlier convictions.

    convicted, Gerard Mackin, 40, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gerard Mackin
  2. 19 May2023
    Sentencedextra.ie, its first report
    Notorious Criminal Gerard Mackin Jailed For Possessing Crime Cash

    The article body is empty template code. The only details come from the headline, which does not give a location, date or sentence length, so the Republic of Ireland location is assumed from the Irish outlet.

    convicted, Gerard Mackin, named, irish (judged from name)Gerard Mackin
  3. 13 Mar2023
    In courtlimerickleader.ie, first report
    Notorious criminal guilty of money laundering following cash seizure in Limerick

    Reports Mackin's guilty plea on 13 March 2023 at the Special Criminal Court, with sentencing adjourned to 30 March 2023. Provides details of his extradition from Alicante, Spain, and the European Arrest Warrant process.

    accused, Gerard Mackin, 40, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Gerard Mackin