A CONVICTED KILLER who is a member of a gang involved in violent feuding used €100,000 of the proceeds of crime to renovate his house, a court has been told. 

Detective Garda Ronan O’Reilly told the Special Criminal Court that Richard Treacy (36), was involved in a feud in the city – he served six years for the manslaughter of another man.

Richard Treacy (36), of Downey St, Garryowen, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty that he, between 1 January, 2014 and 12 January, 2021, knowing or being reckless as to whether renovation work carried out at his home address was the proceeds of criminal conduct, did disguise the true source of the property.

The offence is contrary to section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

The Downey Street house is registered in the name of his mother but Treacy lives there with his two children and his partner.  

O’Reilly told the court that the gardaí had carried out a search at the house on 17 June 2020 and found money in euros and sterling in a number of locations.  

They found €4,000 in a drawer in a bedroom, €500 and €600 in cash in a kitchen cupboard and £3,900 in sterling.

Following this Treacy came to the garda station and spoke to gardaí under caution – in this interview he claimed that the monies they seized were for renovations of his home.

Treacy said his mother gave him the €4,000 for an extension but gave no explanation for the sterling. He said he saved the €600 and that the €500 was his dole money.

Garda enquiries led detectives to seek an order to freeze the financial accounts of the Richard Treacy. The gardaí also engaged a quantity surveyor and other experts to assist them in their investigation. 

When asked for the details of the previous convictions of the accused O’Reilly told the judges that Treacy had served a six year term for the manslaughter of a man in a feud in Limerick.

That was in connection to the death of Darren Coughlan who was attacked and beaten to death on the Old Cratloe Road in the city in 2005. Three years after that the dead man’s brother John shot Treacy’s brother Daniel. John Coughlan is serving a life sentence for that crime. 

Treacy is also a nephew of the Limerick city gang leader Kieran Keane.

O’Reilly listed other convictions including public order, dangerous driving and an incident violent disorder related to feuding in Limerick city. 

Barrister for the Defence Lorcan Connolly raised an application for the three judge panel to be recused stating that the mention of feuding was not specific and included in the charges for his client. 

Connolly told the judges that that the feud “phraseology didn’t feature in any part of the case”. 

The barrister said the garda “went off piste” and said it to “colour” the defendant in the minds of the judges. 

After rising briefly the three judges returned and Ms Justice Karen O’Connor, presiding, said they would not recuse themselves from the sentence hearing.

She said that all three judges were “very experienced at ignoring certain matters”.

The Judge adjourned the case for sentence until 20 October – Treacy has been remanded on continuing bail.