Episode 1272: Mr Big's arrest, Sean McGovern's trial, and the cold case murder of Emer O'Loughlin

Killer Aaron Brady is set to appeal his conviction for the capital murder of Garda Adrian Donohoe next October.But in the meantime an online campaign for his freedom is claiming that he is the victim of a stitch up and amongst other inconsistencies he was not tall enough to kill the tragic Garda.But what benefit is such a campaign and whose support has it attracted?Nicola speaks with Niall Donald about the conviction of Aaron Brady and the fight to win back his freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Juli 202334min

Former Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy came out fighting for his career today during six gruelling hours before the Oireachtas Committees who quizzed him and agent Noel Kelly about payments from the public purse.As the RTE scandal continues into it’s third week politicians still want to know whether laws were broken and by who.During two sessions, Kelly was forced to repeatedly deny there was fraud involved in invoices raised for payments to Tubridy and constantly said he was following orders from the National Broadcaster.Nicola Tallant speaks with Niall Donald and Features Editor Daragh Keany about the performance of the celebrity at the centre of the scandal and his agent who says he has done nothing wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11 Juli 202338min

Martin ‘The Viper’ Foley could be facing a short jail term after pleading guilty to engaging in threatening behaviour as he attempted to recover a debt from a Wexford pensioner.The 67 year old who is one of Ireland’s most notorious gangland criminals’ faces a maximum sentence of three months but what is more insightful to where his criminal career is at, is the amount of money he was due to be paid for his current day job.A former enforcer for Martin ‘The General’ Cahill, a violent criminal suspected of armed robbery of fine art and jewels and a man who has survived numerous attempts on his life by the IRA and rival criminals, Foley has had a long and colourful career in the underworld.So who is The Viper and what has made him one of the greatest survivors of gangland? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10 Juli 20231h 4min

IT'S the diamond capital of Europe and the second city of Belgium, but Antwerp is also on par with Rotterdam as the largest entry point for cocaine into the continent.Last year, 110 tonnes of the powder was seized at the city's sprawling port, where authorities are coming under increasing pressure to do more to take on the drug gangs.However, it's not as simple as beefing up police numbers and investing in new detection equipment. Antwerp is a unique city where smuggling and money laundering are deeply imbedded in its history and culture.Nicola Tallant meets with journalist Joris van der Aa, a colleague from Gazet van Antwerpen, who has spent decades on the crime beat in Belgium. The pair discuss diamonds, drugs and dodgy deals, as they travel the city and visit its enormous port. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

8 Juli 202334min

It's almost two years since famous Dutch journalist Peter R. De Vries was shot dead on an Amsterdam street in an assassination believed to have been ordered by Marengo suspect Ridouan Taghi.For decades, the 65-year-old TV star had been a voice for victims and a tireless campaigner against criminals and their crimes. But when his killers came for him on a sunny July evening on one of the busiest streets in Amsterdam, they didn't care about what he had achieved - they were simply carrying out their bloody orders.But how could such an instance of narco-terrorism take place in a modern European city, and why did Peter De Vries feel safe there despite the numerous threats to his life.Nicola Tallant, in her third despatch from the Marengo trial, meets with journalist Jan Meeus, chief reporter at NRC, and visits the scene of the De Vries death. Jan recalls his shock he felt at the news of his mentor's murder, and he remembers the fear it instilled in a media already under threat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 Juli 202339min

A mystery on a Donegal cliff side, an idyllic fishing community left in shock and a victim with a shady past.Nicola speaks to journalist Allison Morris about the death of 67 year old trucker Robert Wilkins and the reasons why he was in Killybegs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Juli 20239min

Journalist Jan Meeus a senior reporter at NRC in Amsterdam didn’t start out as a crime hack but since he made the transition from his finance beat he’s become one of the best known in the Netherlands.His latest book 'De Schiedamse - Cocaine Mafia' tells the story of a corrupt customs officer, seasoned criminals and thousands of kilos of coke while his podcasts including Cocaine Fever follows the story of a young criminal who becomes the head of an international mafia and questions what it says about the Netherlands.So what does the changing underworld say about his native country and mine and are we equipped to deal with a new breed of gangster who has simply no regard for the structures that uphold our society.Today in her second dispatch from the Marengo trial Nicola is speaking to Jan about the growing threat of organised crime in a Europe that continues to party on a diet of cocaine and wealth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5 Juli 202349min

The Marengo trial is the largest ever held in the Netherlands and at the centre of it sits gang leader, Ridouan Taghi, a business partner and friend of Daniel Kinahan, who's reigned terror on Europe.A street dealer turned millionaire cocaine boss, he's the epitome of the new order of criminal, a frightening breed of gangster who has taken on a state.Today, in the first of a number of dispatches, we're going into the bunker in Amsterdam where Taghi is on trial for multiple gangland murders, and where we are going to meet Crime World regulars, the journalists Jan Meeus and Saskia Belleman for the first time as they work this very dangerous beat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3 Juli 202325min