City brothers jailed for nine years for gang membership

By Sonya McLean Two Galway brothers have been jailed for nine years for membership of a criminal organisation, marking the first sentence under new anti-gang legislation.

Michael O’Loughlin (32) of Rahylin Glebe, Ballybane and Eddie O’Loughlin (28) of Rockfield Park, Rahoon both pleaded guilty to participating in the activities of a criminal organisation in the Galway area between February 10 and June 1, 2010.

Judge Martin Nolan praised the work of the Garda investigation, known as Operation Foolscap, which was headed by Detective Inspector Gerard Roche. It resulted in the arrest of the brothers and 10 of their associates.

“They are to be congratulated for their work which would have been time consuming and boring and which would have taken up a lot of man hours,” the judge said.

The O’Loughlin brothers were originally charged with organising a criminal organisation but entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of membership after two weeks at trial. They faced a maximum of 15 years in prison under the 2009 Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act.

Det Insp Roche later agreed with senior counsel Martin Giblin, defending Eddie McLoughlin, that his client was a “mid-range criminal” but added that he was not at the upper end because the Garda operation put an end to his criminal activity.

“If he had continued he would have been one of the most dangerous individuals in the Western Region which is why the operation was put in place to stop him,” Det Insp Roche said.

Det Insp Roche told prosecuting senior counsel Dominic McGinn that Gardaí set up an operation to target organised criminal activity in Galway City in September 2009. He said there was about 13 to 15 people involved in this particular gang with the O’Loughlins.

After obtaining warrants under new legislation, audio devices were placed inside a Toyota Avensis used by Eddie O’Loughlin and a Ford Mondeo used by Michael O’Loughlin.

A surveillance team was also set up so Gardaí would know who was in each car at all times and be able to identify the voices in the conservations that were later recorded.

Det Insp Roche told Judge Nolan that Gardaí successfully recorded over 110 days of conversations relating to the planed criminal activities of the group.

For more, read this week's Connacht Sentinel.