Two men involved in an elaborate scheme to plant firearms and potentially reduce the prison sentence of crime boss Thomas ‘Bomber’ Kavanagh have been sentenced following a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation.

Jack Kavanagh, 24, from Tamworth, and Peter Keating, 43, from Dublin, were key players in a complex plot to obtain and hide weapons, hoping to negotiate a lesser sentence for Thomas Kavanagh, who was already serving time for drug trafficking offences.

Extensive Encrypted Communications

The conspiracy unfolded over 18 months, with the men using the encrypted messaging platform Encrochat to coordinate their plan. Jack Kavanagh, using handles like ‘BasilBadger’ and ‘ThiLive’, worked alongside Shaun Kent and Liam Byrne to source firearms.

Their communications revealed the urgency of their mission, with Jack expressing the pressure of his father’s imprisonment and the need to obtain weapons quickly. Keating was involved in planning the movement of the firearms through a third party.

Discovery and Arrests

In April 2021, the NCA discovered two holdalls in Newry, Northern Ireland, containing 11 machine-type weapons and ammunition. This led to a series of arrests, including Shaun Kent in March 2021 and Thomas Kavanagh in August 2021.

Liam Byrne was arrested in Mallorca in June 2023 after fleeing the UK, while Jack Kavanagh was extradited from Spain in November 2023.

Sentencing

Jack Kavanagh pleaded guilty to all offences on 1 November 2024 and was sentenced to three years and one month. Keating pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey and received a four-year and eight-month sentence to be served concurrently with his existing prison term.

Previously, Thomas Kavanagh received an additional six years, Byrne was sentenced to five years, and Kent to six years in prison.

NCA Response

Craig Turner, Deputy Director of Investigations at the National Crime Agency, commented on the case, highlighting the agency’s commitment to disrupting criminal activities and bringing perpetrators to justice.

“Kavanagh and Keating were a central part of this plot to deceive us in a bid to reduce the lengthy sentence Kavanagh’s father was facing for drugs offences,” Turner said. “Their messages showed they were involved in much of the logistics of the plan to obtain the firearms, all of which were viable deadly weapons.”