James McGovern

THIS is Kinahan cartel lieutenant Sean ‘Knife’ McGovern returning from a scouting mission as they plot the ­murder of rival ­gangster James ‘Mago’ Gately.

Our exclusive photo shows McGovern, 40, and sidekick Peadar ‘Leg’ Keating, 45, stopping for some snacks at the Applegreen garage at Castlebellingham, Co Louth, on the M1 motorway as they head back to Dublin from Belfast on March 28, 2017.

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The image is one of many recovered by the Gardai as they built their case against McGovern for directing the criminal organisation that ­murdered innocent Noel ‘Duck Egg’ Kirwan, 62, outside his Dublin home in December 2016 and tried to kill Hutch associate Gately, 39, in 2017.

The CCTV shot from Applegreen also shows McGovern holding his encrypted Blackberry telephone that he used to communicate with the cartel leadership.

Following the 24-year sentence McGovern received at the Special Criminal Court last Monday, Mr Kirwan’s daughter Donna, 40, praised the Gardai for gathering “important” CCTV evidence in their case against McGovern.

She told The Irish Sun: “These images and other CCTV stills were an essential strand of the evidence against Sean McGovern.

“Did he not think that there was no CCTV when he was going into these shops?

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“If he was such a senior lieutenant, why didn’t he get one of his gillies to go into the shop? Why did he have to travel to Belfast?

“The images reaffirm just how incredibly stupid he was to think he was going to get away with directing the gang who murdered our father and the one who tried to kill James Gately.

“The Garda investigation teams did a great job in compiling so much evidence against McGovern that he was left with no option but to plead guilty.

“These images clearly show how he thought he was untouchable but in the end his ego cost led to him receiving a 24-year sentence.”

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On the morning of March 28, 2017, McGovern and his lackey had driven to Gately’s hideout at ­College Court apartments in Belfast city centre in a Peugeot van and spent 30 minutes outside his ­apartment before driving off.

While there, Keating stepped out of the van and walked around his target’s bolthole.

Another CCTV image shows the thug examining the apartment block.

As Keating conducted his surveillance, McGovern remained hidden in the back of the van.

Two days after their scouting mission, cartel foot ­soldier Douglas ‘Doggie’ Glynn, 41, was brought to Belfast and placed a tracker on Gately’s Toyota Avensis at 11.12am.

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The murder plot was rumbled by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau following the arrest of Estonian hitman Imre Arakas, 67, on April 4.

Investigators — under the command of Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland and Det Supt Dave Gallagher — also recovered CCTV of McGovern buying a Garmin satnav at Dundalk Retail Park in Louth.

The device was bought on March 28, 2017 before the cartel loyalists travelled north.

Later recovered by Gardai, Gately’s address was saved as ‘Home’ on the satnav.

Another CCTV image obtained by officers shows McGovern, a “close confidant” of mob boss Daniel Kinahan, buying the device.

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Keating was caged for 11 years in September 2021 for directing the activities of the cartel in the failed hit on Gately.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt described him as a “senior” and “trusted” member of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group.

As McGovern begins his prison life, we can also reveal how he tried to recruit Mark ‘The Guinea Pig’ Desmond for his war against Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s gang.

Cops recovered messages from McGovern’s encrypted phone indicating that he would use the ­hitman ‘Teeth’ to kill Mr Kirwan “to get his confidence back”.

But he also approached Desmond, 41.

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However, he was unable to recruit Desmond and ‘Teeth’ — bungling contract killer Glen Clarke, 36 — after they both died in 2016.

Desmond — a notorious hitman for hire who also raped young boys during his reign of terror — was shot dead at a housing estate in Lucan, Dublin, on December 2.

And Clarke — who murdered innocent dads Martin O’Rourke, 24, and Trevor O’Neill, 41, during the Kinahan-Hutch feud — is believed to have shot himself in the head while examining a gun.

His body was found slumped in a car just a few hours after Desmond’s killing.

A source added: “McGovern was absolutely desperate to recruit ­anyone because they were running out of hitmen.

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“They wanted people with violent reputations.”

Following the deaths of Desmond and Clarke, McGovern later recruited another killer to murder Mr Kirwan on December 22, 2016.

McGovern is the fifth member of the hit team to be caged over the killing. The Gardai’s hunt to find the gunman is “active and ongoing”.

Mr Kirwan daughter Donna said: “When we get the person who actually killed our dad, and we will, we will be happy.”

Brother Kristopher, 36, added: “We are ­hoping the Gardai will prosecute everyone else who was involved.”

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Cops also continue to investigate the murder of Noel’s youngest son, Caine, who was shot dead by a cartel gunman less than a year after his dad’s murder.

Following McGovern’s sentencing, Det Supt Gallagher declared: “Let the conviction and sentence of Mr McGovern be a ­lesson to those who glorify organised crime and promote it as a way of life.

“There are no untouchables.”