John Kinsella (criminal)

John Kinsella was an English criminal from Everton, near Liverpool.[1] He was shot dead in May 2018, the killers using encrypted EncroChat handsets to co-ordinate the murder.[2][3]

Early life

He was an expert in judo and jujutsu, and was originally from Everton.[4]

He was a friend and criminal associate of gangster Paul Massey and was a pallbearer at the latter's funeral.[5][6][7]

Criminal history

In 1991, Kinsella was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to nine years' imprisonment for attempted robbery and carrying a firearm with intent to commit an offence.[4]

In 2006, he was involved in a robbery in Grantham, Lincolnshire, and was put on trial for it in 2008.[8] During the trial, the jury was read a letter from the father of Steven Gerrard saying that Kinsella had stopped his son from being threatened by a criminal, George Bromley Jnr, known as "The Psycho" in 2001.[1][8][9] When, during the trial, Kinsella was allowed into the court grounds during a lunch break, he absconded.[8] He was convicted in his absence and sentenced to 14 years in jail.[8] He was subsequently arrested in February 2009.[8][10]

Kinsella's death was the result of a gang feud begun in 2015 between two rival criminal organisations in Salford.[7] One gang, headed by Michael Carroll, had Mark Fellows and Steven Boyle as members.[7] The rival gang, said to be headed by Stephen Britton, called itself "the A-team".[7] Kinsella and Massey were associated with the latter gang.

Death

Kinsella was shot dead on 5 May 2018 near St Helens Linkway in Rainhill by Mark Fellows.[1][6][11]

Fellows was found guilty of the murders of both Kinsella and Massey in January 2019.[6][11] Stephen Boyle was convicted of murder for his part of acting as a "spotter" in the murder of John Kinsella.[6][11]

It later transpired during the investigation that the murder of Kinsella was organised by means of EncroChat devices.[2][12][3]

References
  1. "Underworld enforcer named as St Helens shooting victim". BBC News. 6 May 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  2. Staff (26 November 2018). "Underworld duo 'murdered in gangland feud'". BBC News.
  3. Hamilton, Fiona (2 July 2020). "Hundreds of arrests as police crack phone network used by crime bosses". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. His trial was told the hits were co-ordinated using Encrochat on a device which cost £1,500 for a six-month contract and was sold on websites visited by those engaged in crime.
  4. Thomas, Joe (6 May 2018). "Who was John Kinsella? 'Gangland fixer' who helped Steven Gerrard shot dead". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  5. Keeling, Neal (31 May 2018). "Exclusive - the moment murdered John Kinsella carried Paul Massey's coffin at his funeral". Manchester Evening News.
  6. Perraudin, Frances (16 January 2019). "Hitman guilty of murdering Salford 'Mr Big' Paul Massey". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  7. Hurst, Pat (26 November 2018). "Gangland feud led to double murder of underworld 'Mr Big' Paul Massey and mob 'fixer' John Kinsella". The Independent. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  8. "Fugitive Gerrard 'fixer' arrested". BBC News. 28 February 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  9. "Court cuts confiscation bill of Steven Gerrard 'fixer'". BBC News. 23 March 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  10. Perraudin, Frances (17 January 2019). "Gangland hitman gets life term for murder of Salford 'Mr Big'". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  11. "'Mr Big' Paul Massey murder: Hitman gets life in jail". BBC News. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  12. Hughes, Janet (21 May 2019). "The £3,000 a year encrypted mobiles with kill pills used by gangs". Gloucester Citizen.

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