Sean McGovern finally learns fate as Kinahan cartel boss faces sentencing for two murder plots in ‘momentous day’

SENIOR Kinahan cartel lieutenant Sean ‘Knife’ McGovern will finally discover his fate today for directing the hit team who murdered an innocent grandfather.

McGovern, 40, will be sentenced at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin for orchestrating the callous murder of Noel ‘Duck Egg’ Kirwan, 62, just three days before Christmas in 2016.

The Dubliner — also known as ‘Mackers’ — will also be sentenced for the role he played in the botched attempt to kill Hutch crime gang loyalist James ‘Mago’ Gately in April 2017.

After being extradited from the UAE last October, McGovern became the most senior member of the Kinahan cartel to appear before the Special Criminal Court.

He also made history when he became the first person from Ireland to be extradited from Dubai back to the State.

McGovern is also the first in the Kinahan and Hutch feud to face a charge of “directing the activities of an organised crime gang” in which someone was murdered.

Former Assistant Commissioner Pat Leahy said that he welcomed McGovern’s guilty pleas in the two charges against him.

He said: “It will be a momentous day when McGovern discovers what sentence he’ll receive for his participation in two very serious crimes.

“Garda did a remarkable job in compiling the evidence against him and it was no surprise to see him plead guilty.

“It’s also a very important day for the family of Noel Kirwan who have shown tremendous dignity and resilience these last ten years.”

He added: “Once the Kinahans started killing people the Gardai made a commitment they were not going to let those responsible ride off into the sunset. This is what has happened to Sean McGovern.

“He was described as a senior lieutenant during the court case and it’s great to see people of his standing in a criminal organisation being brought to justice.”

McGovern will be brought to Dublin from the A-Landing of Portlaoise by members of the Gardai’s Emergency Response Unit.

He will then be escorted by prison officers to the holding cells at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin’s Parkgate Street.

In court, Emergency Response Unit and Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau members will also be present.

As sentencing is delivered to the court by the three-judge panel, McGovern will also be flanked in the dock by prison officers.

When he appeared in court on April 27, evidence was outlined by Det Supt Dave Gallagher, from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and Det Sgt Donal Daly of Lucan Garda station.

McGovern sat with his head bowed, as he completed a Sudoku book and read from a copy of A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles.

He also kept his head bowed when a victim impact statement was read out to the court on behalf of Mr Kirwan’s children — Donna, 40, and Kristopher, 36.

As it was read out, Donna stared directly at McGovern — who refused to lift his head.

The heartbroken siblings told the court: “Not only have you destroyed our lives, you have destroyed your own.

“You brought us into a world we did not want to be part of.

“How did you feel not being able to attend your own father’s funeral — watching it from a webcam in Dubai? I’d like to think you feel some bit of guilt for that at least.

“You watched our dad for ten whole months — this wasn’t organised overnight.

“A lot of time and effort went into organising his murder — you had a tracker put on his car, which myself and my son were in when he was nine.

“The only thing my dad was guilty of was showing his respect at a childhood friend’s funeral.”

When sentenced today, McGovern will be the fifth member of the sub cell to face justice.