Kinahan ‘foot soldier’ and Liam Byrne associate arrested for dangerous driving

Lee Gibson (25) had the case against him adjourned at Dublin District Court, to set a date for the non-jury hearing.

Mr Gibson, with an address at Knocknarea Avenue, Drimnagh is charged with four counts of dangerous driving. The offences, under Section 53 of the

Road Traffic Act, are alleged to have happened at Brickfield Park, Benbulbin Avenue and Lissadell Avenue, Drimnagh and Kells Road, Crumlin, all on June 28 this year.

He is also charged with driving without insurance or a licence on the same date and failing to produce the documents at a garda station. A further charge alleges he obstructed a garda under the Public Order Act.

Garda Sergeant Gail Smith told Judge Paula Murphy the DPP was directing summary trial in the district court. Judge Murphy asked if the accused was entering a plea.

Defence solicitor Donal Quigley said Mr Gibson was pleading not guilty. The judge noted that there were a number of charges and the case “may take some time.”

Sgt Smith said the hearing would last more than an hour and the judge adjourned the case to next week, for mention, to fix a trial date.

The judge granted free legal aid after Mr Quigley applied on Mr Gibson’s behalf.

The accused was not required to address the court during the brief proceedings and was remanded on continuing bail to the next date.

In 2019, Mr Gibson was named in the High Court as an associate of Liam Byrne, the man who is now regarded as the leader of the Kinahan cartel in Europe.

CAB named him among a number of people as part of a case against Byrne. According to CAB, the Byrne organised crime group "works for, and is part of, the larger Kinahan group."