Three men have been sentenced after a National Crime Agency investigation uncovered an elaborate plot to acquire firearms and ammunition to help the head of an organised crime group get a reduced prison sentence.
PICTURED: Kavanagh, Byrne, Kent
Whilst on remand for drug trafficking offences in 2019, Thomas Kavanagh, 57, from Tamworth, set in motion a series of events that he hoped would result in a significant discount to any sentence he was likely to get at the end of his trial.
He sought the assistance of trusted associates Shaun Kent, 38, from Liverpool and Liam Byrne, 44, originally from Dublin, directing them via a fellow inmate in prison to purchase firearms and ammunition and bury them, so he could reveal their whereabouts to NCA investigators.
Kavanagh’s plan was to fool the authorities into believing his assistance was genuine, so he would be rewarded for helping. But after the takedown of the encrypted communication platform Encrochat, the intricate scheme was uncovered.
Over the course of 18 months, at Kavanagh’s direction, Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne began contacting associates to acquire various weapons and ammunition.
Using nicknames to avoid identifying individuals, and slang terms for the weapons and ammunition, they discussed at length how they could get hold of the weapons, and how they could get them buried in a location set out by Kavanagh, despite being in the middle of the Covid pandemic and lockdown.
Messages included Kent messaging Byrne saying Kavanagh had asked him to pass on a message to ‘keep on about locating them things [firearms] for him mate. He added: “he said try get as many of them as you can… only chance he’s got on getting good result out of this case mate.”
The urgent messages continued when Kent received a message stating Kavanagh was ‘under massive pressure and time’s against him’ to get the firearms in position before he was due to appear in court again.
In April 2021, through Thomas Kavanagh’s legal representatives, the NCA was provided with a map, leading them to a location near Newry in Northern Ireland.
NCA officers searched the area where two holdalls were found buried just beneath the soil. In those holdalls were 11 machine type weapons and ammunition.
Officers were then able to work backwards, using the Encrochat messages in their possession, to evidence the conspiracy and Kavanagh’s elaborate plan to bury weapons and ammunition.
Shaun Kent was arrested in March 2021 at his home address, where officers recovered £5000 in cash. He was subsequently charged with a number of offences and remanded into custody.
Thomas Kavanagh, who had been sentenced to 21 years for previous drug trafficking offences, was arrested at HMP Norwich in August 2021. He and Kent were subsequently charged with firearms offences and perverting the course of justice in August 2023.
Byrne had fled the UK, but was arrested in June 2023 in the Alcudia area of Mallorca. He was escorted back to the UK by officers from the NCA in December 2023, where he was also charged with firearms offences and remanded into custody.
All three admitted the offences at the Central Criminal Court on 18 September. They were sentenced at the same court today. Kavanagh was sentenced to a further prison sentence of six years to be served consecutively. Byrne received five years in prison and Kent received six years in prison.
NCA Branch Commander Ty Surgeon said: “At the instruction of their leader Thomas Kavanagh, Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne orchestrated a cynical and dangerous plot to plant a cache of weapons so Kavanagh could direct the NCA to them and reduce his time in prison.
“These weapons were viable and deadly weapons that were in the hands of a criminal gang, loaded and ready for use in criminality. What this group didn’t know is their Encrochat messages had been unveiled for law enforcement to see, showing every detail of their plan.
“The NCA’s mission is to protect the public from serious and organised crime, and as this case shows, we will pursue every avenue, including overseas, to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
22 October 2024
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