Thomas Kavanagh, a 57-year-old senior figure in the Kinahan organized crime group, has been sentenced to six years in prison for orchestrating a plot to create a hidden cache of firearms from behind bars. Kavanagh, an Irish national residing in Tamworth, England, aimed to lead the National Crime Agency (NCA) to this cache in hopes of securing a lighter sentence in a multi-million-pound drug trafficking case.
While serving his time, Kavanagh enlisted the help of his brother-in-law, 44-year-old Liam Byrne from Dublin, and associate Shaun Kent, 38, from Liverpool. All three men appeared in court via video link from prison for sentencing at the Old Bailey.
The trio admitted to their offenses last month before their trial. Judge Philip Katz KC emphasized that this case revolved around “one overarching criminal plan” designed to aid Kavanagh’s sentence reduction. The judge remarked, “The means chosen to achieve the purpose was to put together a cache of firearms to fool the NCA… and, in due course, to fool the judge.”
During the sentencing, Judge Katz pointed out that, despite being incarcerated, Kavanagh remained at the “heart of these conspiracies” and was still able to direct operations from prison. The judge described the weapons involved in the plot as “fearsome.”
In May 2021, Kavanagh provided the NCA with information about a location in Newry, Northern Ireland, leading to the discovery of two holdalls containing a cache of weapons, including seven machine guns, three automatic handguns, an assault rifle, and ammunition.
The conspiracy unraveled when the NCA intercepted incriminating messages exchanged on the encrypted EncroChat platform, which had been decrypted by French law enforcement. Kent played multiple roles in the plot, including acting as a “messenger-boy” who relayed Kavanagh’s instructions through a middleman to coordinate the acquisition of firearms and ammunition.
Byrne, also Kavanagh’s brother-in-law and a close criminal associate, was said to have provided crucial support in furthering the plot. On Tuesday, Kavanagh received a sentence of six years to be served consecutively with his existing 21-year term. Byrne was sentenced to five years, while Kent also received a six-year prison sentence.
Following the sentencing, NCA branch commander Ty Surgeon emphasized the agency’s commitment to combating organized crime. “At the instruction of their leader Thomas Kavanagh, Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne orchestrated a cynical and dangerous plot to plant a cache of weapons so Kavanagh could direct the NCA to them and reduce his time in prison. These weapons were viable and deadly, ready for use in criminal activity.”
Surgeon concluded by highlighting the effectiveness of law enforcement in revealing their plans through intercepted EncroChat messages: “The NCA’s mission is to protect the public from serious and organized crime, and as this case shows, we will pursue every avenue to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
