Family of Kinahan chief Ross Browning still living in luxury properties frozen by CAB

The homes at Garristown, Co Meath are still occupied following the ruling in February in the €1.7 million Criminal Assets Bureau case.

At a High Court hearing today, it emerged the occupants have promised “to maintain” the properties before they are eventually seized by the State.

Counsel for CAB sought court orders to take possession of the property listed in the case which also includes a plot of land in Rush, Co Dublin as well as rings, jewellery, cash and vehicles.

Ross Browning, who is originally from Hardwicke Street in the north inner-city, was previously described in court as the Kinahan Cartel’s No.1 man in Ireland.

A lawyer for Browning’s relatives asked for adjournment to take instructions and to allow time for an agreement on vacating the properties.

Judge Alex Owens today granted an order to allow CAB to appoint a receiver to sell off the vehicles and jewellery, deemed the proceeds of crime.

However, he didn’t make the same order for the properties which remain family homes but are effectively now frozen by CAB.

The case has been listed again for a further hearing next month which also will include the issue of legal costs.

The CAB case centred on Browning’s luxury house and compound along with a renovated cottage on the property at Garristown.

Paddocks and an indoor show-jumping arena were built as well as the completely renovated cottage now called Chestnut Lodge.

His mother Julie Conway and her partner ex-garda David O’Brien, who was not a party to the case, lived in Chesnut Lodge which was extensively refurbished, mostly with Browning’s criminal cash.

However, it was ruled they should receive 25 per cent of the cash from the eventual sale of the house to reflect that some money from legitimate sources had been used.

Judge Owens in his February judgement said that although Browning’s name was not on the properties they were controlled by him, his partner Sinead Mulhall and his mother Julie Conway.

Browning tried to disguise his drug money in Ireland through his family members who in return enjoyed his generosity when it came to cars, jewellery and travel.

While Browning did not contest the case, members of his family denied CAB’s claim and said that money used came from legitimate sources.

Despite her “modest means” his sister Robyn was in the United States, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa as well as several other foreign holidays between 2012 and 2018.

His other sister Cheryl also enjoyed trips to the same destinations including a Mediterranean cruise along with five other relatives in 2017.

His ‘Living 1’ Cross Guns gyms didn’t have a bank account and was staffed with relatives, it emerged during the case.

The case also revealed the Kinahans were linked to the violent Mr Flashy gang through a convicted drug dealer Browning was said to have used by a house in Finglas.

CAB’s case was that the house purchased by his cousin Ian O’Heaire was in fact controlled by Ross Browning.

In his February judgement Judge Alex Owens in the $1.7 million Criminal Assets Bureau case said the evidence supported the case criminal cash was used to acquire and renovate his luxury home.

It also emerged there was a seat for Ross Browning at Daniel Kinahan’s 2017 Burj al Arab wedding thanks to his senior rank in the Kinahan cartel.

He would have rubbed shoulders with the members of the super-cartel that included Comorra boss Rafaelle Imperiale, the ‘Balkan Escobar’ Edin Gačanin and Dutch Moroccan crime lord Ridouan Taghi.