Hutch gang member Stephen 'Mago' Gately convicted of drug-driving in Donegal

Hutch gang member James ‘Mago’ Gately has been disqualified from driving after being convicted of drug-driving in Donegal.

A day after his plush Coolock home was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB), Gately appeared before Letterkenny District Court.

Gately, who has survived multiple hits on his life by the Kinahan cartel, was charged with driving a mechanically propelled vehicle while exceeding the drug-driving limit on May 7 last year.

Gately appeared in person, but did not speak while the matter was heard before Judge Éiteáin Cunningham. 

Gately was stopped at a routine checkpoint at Burn Rock, Killygordon at 2.21pm.

Garda Stephen Joseph Carroll told the court that he was operating a multi-agency checkpoint with the Revenue and Road Safety Authority.

Gately, who was driving a Hyundai i30, produced a full Irish driving licence, but gardai believed that he was under the influence of an intoxicant. A subsequent blood test was over the limit for cannabis. 

The 38-year-old was represented by solicitor Mr Frank Dorrian, who told the court that Gately was “cooperative at every stage of the process”.

Sergeant Jim Collins informed the court that Gately has previous convictions for “a number of minor road traffic matters”, but none for drug-driving.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham convicted Gately and banned him from driving for one year. 

He was also fined €200 and given five months to pay.

Legal aid was granted to Mr Dorrian.

The court heard that Gately was no longer at a residence in Coolock and his address was given as Portland Row.

The CAB has alleged that Gately has been linked to armed robberies, gangland murders and drug dealing but he has not been convicted of serious offences.

Gately’s name has been linked to three murders, including that of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel in 2016 and those of Aidan Byrne and Eamon Dunne in 2001. 

He has been described in court previously in CAB evidence as “a leading member of the Hutch organised crime group”.

His property at Glin Drive, Coolock was seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau on Tuesday. Officers swooped to take hold of the property, which is expected to be sold at an auction.

The High Court ruled that the house was financed largely through the proceeds of crime. 

It has been reported that the staircase and some doors had been removed from the house..

Gately is said to have lost around €600,000 in assets with CAB previously taking possession of a Volkswagen Golf and a Rolex watch which a judge, Mr Justice Alexander Owens, held had probably been purchased through criminal proceeds.

Gately survived an attempt on his life when he was shot five times when sitting in his car in 2017.

A Kinahan gunman, Caolan Smyth, has since been convicted for attempted murder.

In total, seven men associated with the Kinahan cartel have been jailed for plots to kill Gately, including Imre Arakas, an Estonian hitman, who was put behind bars for considering with others to murdering Gately.