Paul Healy

Now, he would rather be free, I'm sure, but it would certainly be a lot better than the options that he has now.

He's going to be celebrating his 49th birthday next week and he'll be doing that in that prison.

So I would imagine he has an awful lot on his mind right now.

Yeah, so if this date goes ahead in mid-July, Daniel Kinahan will be brought straight from Baldonnell to the Special Criminal Court.

So he will be charged on the tarmac and then formally charged in the court.

And then he will be, as I say, taken into custody.

But

You're talking probably within a period of a year or more before I would say a trial would get going.

And in that time, you'll have the opportunity to see the book of evidence and to consider his options.

There has been some speculation and indeed sources do wonder privately whether Mr. Kinahan might consider a plea in this case.

Certainly his lieutenant, Sean McGovern, ultimately did plead guilty.

And now he was sentenced to 24 years in prison only last week for his charge of directing a criminal organization in relation to the murder of Noel Kirwan and in relation to the surveillance of the Hutch associate, James Magogately.

Now, in Kinahan's case, I'm told that the evidence is quite overwhelming and there is an awful lot of evidence in relation to encrypted phone conversations.

So we already know a lot about those alleged conversations.

And Gardaí are going to allege, basically, that Mr Kinahan directed the Kinahan cartel's activities during the course of the Kinahan-Hutch feud.

They likely are.

I mean, they've enjoyed a wonderful life there for the past decade.

And, you know, when you really think about it, it's not that easy to give up such a life, a life of luxury.

They have nice homes there.

They have businesses.