Kinahan cartel member pleads guilty to conspiracy to murder

DPP to drop three charges of attempted murder faced by Alan Wilson

Gardaí  at the scene of a triple shooting at the Player’s Lounge in Fairview,  Dublin, in July 2010. Photograph: Eric Luke
Gardaí at the scene of a triple shooting at the Player’s Lounge in Fairview, Dublin, in July 2010. Photograph: Eric Luke

Kinahan cartel member Alan Wilson pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder at the Player's Lounge pub in Dublin in 2010

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped three charges of attempted murder against Wilson had been on trial since November 1st at the three-judge, non-jury Special Criminal Court.

During the trial the court viewed CCTV footage showing a masked gunman firing several shots at the three men from close range as they stood on a footpath near the front door of the Fairview pub.

Wilson (42), with a last address at New Street Gardens, Dublin 8 pleaded guilty this afternoon to a fresh charge that he conspired to murder persons unknown on July 26th, 2010, contrary to Section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006.

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He also pleaded guilty to an offence under the Firearms Act of possession of a .38 calibre Smith & Wesson revolver and a .32 calibre Zastava semi-automatic pistol on dates between July 24th and July 26th, 2010, in circumstances that give rise to the reasonable inference that he possessed them for an unlawful purpose.

Wilson had pleaded not guilty to the attempted murders of Brian Masterson, Wayne Barrett and Austin Purcell at the Player's Lounge Public House, Fairview Strand, Fairview, Dublin 3 on July 26th, 2010.

The prosecution will enter a “nolle prosequi”, formally dismissing that charge, on Monday.