Copyright irishmirror
The former home of Kinahan cartel target James ‘Mago’ Gately, seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), has been sold for €308,000. The property, located on Glin Drive in Coolock, Dublin, which has a major extension that was once described in court as ‘the size of a two-storey apartment’ went under the hammer at Wilsons Auctions on Wednesday. The property had a guide price of €295,000 but was sold at €308,000. The property was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau on April 1 after it was deemed the proceeds of crime following a lengthy battle in the High Court. Gately originally bought the house for €125,000 in 2013, but the High Court heard he later spent around €440,000 on an extensive refurbishment and extension, works the CAB successfully argued were funded through the proceeds of crime. During the proceedings, Gately claimed his father and a friend helped him build and refurbish the property “practically for free”, but the court rejected his explanation. The Coolock house was among a number of properties targeted by the CAB as part of its ongoing crackdown on assets linked to organised crime figures associated with the Kinahan cartel. When the bureau seized the property last April, officers found the staircase removed and metal gates stripped from the front. Photos now show a new staircase installed, though much of the interior remains bare. Images from the auction listing show an empty house with basic bathroom fittings and a gas boiler and boarded-up windows and doors. The auctioneer described the home as “an end-of-terrace, two-storey dwelling with a large rear extension,” offering 1,444 sq ft of bright accommodation, including a porch, kitchen, utility, and three bedrooms. The property “requires upgrading and refurbishment,” but sits in a “mature, well-established community.” The seized assets including the €440,000 extension, a VW Golf, and a ladies’ Rolex watch were all frozen as part of a CAB investigation targeting Gately and his partner Charlene Lam. The bureau argued that Lam, a self-employed beautician running a salon on Dublin’s Summerhill Parade, did not have sufficient legitimate income to support the couple’s lavish lifestyle, which included expensive cruises despite Gately not working since 2015. In court, Gately insisted his father and a friend built the massive extension “practically for free,” and that he funded the home through a 40-year mortgage and his partner’s income. The CAB rejected this, linking Gately to the Hutch Organised Crime Group and to several high-profile gangland murders including that of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016. Gately, who has survived two assassination attempts, was shot five times in a petrol station attack in 2017 and previously targeted by Estonian hitman Imre Arakas, allegedly sent by the Kinahan cartel. Despite never being charged in connection with the murders cited in court, the CAB’s case succeeded, and the property was officially seized earlier this year. The Coolock house, once a symbol of Gately’s wealth and status, now stands empty and stripped back and ready for its next owner. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
