A judge has imposed a 12-year prison sentence on a Limerick man who he said gloated about the distress he caused to his victims on a public Tik Tok account called ‘Munster Crime Gang’.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford has imposed cumulative sentences of 29 years and nine months on three Limerick men, including Eddie Carey (31) of De Vere Court, John Carew Park, Limerick for a crime spree across Clare, Galway and Limerick during mainly 2024.
In the case, Judge Comerford has imposed a prison term of 12 years on Mr Carey and suspended the final four years and three months resulting in seven years and nine months to be served in jail by Mr Carey and back-dated the sentence to January 2025.
Judge Comerford imposed a 12 year-three month sentence on co-accused Owen Casey (29) of Salvia Court, Keyes Park, Southill, Limerick and suspended the final four years and nine months resulting in seven years and six months to be served in jail and backdated the prison sentence to April 2025
Judge Comerford imposed a five year and eight month prison term on Tyreke Casey Curtin (25) of Caisleán na hAbhann, Castletroy, Limerick with no part of that sentence suspended and backdated the prison sentence to September 2025.
The three accused were involved in theft, unauthorised taking, residential burglaries and commercial burglaries and handling of vehicles at premises in Clare, Limerick and Galway from October 2023 to January 6th 2025.
In one offence, the Co. Clare GAA club of All-Ireland winning hurling player and manager, Brian Lohan, Wolfe Tones in Shannon suffered cumulative losses of €47,380 arising from a burglary committed by the three Limerick men in July 2024.
Judge Comerford said that an aggravating factor in the case was there was gloating at the distress the accused caused to their victims on social media and this was primarily by Eddie Carey who, he said, made pronouncements on his ‘Munster Crime Gang’ account.
In evidence, Det Garda Aoife O’Malley said that during the period of offending, Mr Carey asked a family member to set up a public TikTok account called ‘Munster Crime Gang’ where images and videos of stolen vehicles were uploaded to.
Judge Comerford said that there was a complete alienation and disengagement by the three from any harm they were causing.
Judge Comerford said that all three accused had tragic enough starts in life and said that Mr Casey first came to Garda attention at the age of 10.
Judge Comerford said that he could not understand the accused who are fathers would act in a way that will harm their own children by them being sent away to prison.
Judge Comerford said that the criminal offences “was not offending of criminal masterminds”.
Judge Comerford said that the offending did not involve violence but said that the offending did include two rampages of commercial burglaries across two days in 2024.
In the case, Mr Carey, Mr Casey and Mr Casey Curtin carried out the burglary at Wolfe Tones that was one of seven burglaries the three pleaded guilty to on one day alone on July 9th 2024.
The other burglaries took place at Oran Tan, Castle Street, Oranmore; Gala Chinese, Castle Street, Oranmore; Hair Symphony, Clarinbridge; News and Views Bridge St, Gort, Daybreak, Crusheen and Poppy Seed Café, Clarinbridge.
In evidence, Det Garda O’Malley said that during the 2.18am Wolfe Tones burglary significant damage was caused by the removal of the club safe which resulted in €16,000 damage to the bar counter at the club.
Det O’Malley said that the club safe cost €7,000 to replace and she said that the safe was recovered on July 15th from Croom and was completely burned out.
Det O’Malley said that €12,380 in cash was removed from the safe while the cost of the temporary closure of the clubhouse for a number of days was put at €12,000.
Det O’Malley said that Owen Casey lost the tip of a baby finger as the burglars placed the stolen safe into the back of their vehicle at the main entrance to the clubhouse.
Det O‘Malley said that Mr Casey’s blood spilled onto the steps outside the main entrance of the club and in an effort to get rid of any DNA evidence Eddie Carey poured fuel onto the steps and then set it alight.
CCTV footage of Mr Carey setting the fuel on fire was played to the court and Det O’Malley said that despite the fire, Gardai were able to retrieve DNA evidence of Mr Casey from the scene.
Twelve separate victim impact statements were read out to the court by counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) arising from the trio’s crime spree at locations in Galway, Clare and Limerick starting in October 2023 to January 2025.
In the victim impact statement provided by Wolfe Tones, club Cathaoirleach, Gearóid de Buitléir along Amanda ni hÓgáin and Jake Ó Breasláin stated that the “clubhouse and bar facility that was targeted is a vital source of income for the club”.
They said that “to arrive and witness the scale of damage caused has left a lasting sense of shock, anger and upset amongst those individuals and across the wider club community.”
They said that the club has been forced to put in place a professional security response service and “this represents an ongoing and indefinite cost that did not previously exist. These are funds that would otherwise have been invested in our underage teams and community initiative”.
They stated that “in real terms, this incident has diverted resources away from young people in our community – away from coaching, equipment and development – and into covering costs arising from criminal damage.”
They stated that Wolfe Tones na Sionna GAA Club “is a source of pride in Shannon…this incident has caused genuine distress and disappointment among members, families and supporters”.
In the case, Mr Casey Curtin pleaded guilty to 23 offences, while Mr Carey pleaded guilty to 42 offences and Mr Casey pleaded guilty to 40 offences.
