Man caught up in vicious Longford feud sparked by row over family photo settles CAB bill

Jamie Dinnegan, who was seen on video being run over by a van after shots were fired at a house, made the deal on Friday, just hours before a High Court hearing had been due to begin.

CAB have claimed Dinnegan is part of an organised crime gang and in a separate court this week, he was jailed for his involvement in a brawl on a Longford housing estate as part of a simmering feud.

In relation to the CAB case, the High Court heard that Dinnegan and his wife Teresa had reached an settlement agreement “an hour ago” and was currently being drawn up.

Three other couples named in the case had also reached a settlement but the signed documents had not yet arrived.

During a previous hearing it was explained that the four men are alleged to be members of an Organised Crime Group and the women are their spouses.

Named as respondents in the case are Martin Keenan and Lena Keenan, Lawerence Ward and Geraldine Ward, Thomas Oliver Keenan and Bernadette Keenan.

The case was put back until next week before Judge Alex Owens.

At a previous High Court hearing the four couples were granted free legal aid for some aspects of the case which centres on houses in a Longford housing estate.

Counsel for the Dinnegans said the State’s argument that everything they own is the proceeds of crime but ignores his income for motor trading which was put at €74,000 a year.

It was added that “there is a serious allegation” of an organised crime gang that was denied.

The case centres on a number of houses bought for €20,000 in which CAB claims €300,000 was spent on refurbishments which was also denied.

Counsel for the other respondents said there are references to the sale of drugs in affidavits from CAB as well as a feud, which are not accepted.

Judge Owens at that hearing agreed to allow free legal for a quantity surveyor and a forensic accountant to carry out reports for all four couples.

He said there would be “no confetti” in relation to free legal aid certificates and turned down a request for senior counsel who were allowing two solicitors to be appointed.

In February this year Dinnegan, was one of three men who pleaded guilty to charges over a shocking feud-related incident in Longford in January 2022.

They men were due to go on trial charged with an alleged feud-related shooting in Longford that resulted in Dinnegan being run over by a van.

Dinnegan (32) of Grian Ard, Michael Ward, Palace Crescent and Noel Ward (26) Ardnacassa Avenue, all Longford, had been due to stand trial at the Circuit Court.

However, they were re-arraigned and pleaded guilty to less serious charges.

Longford Circuit Criminal Court yesterday heard on Friday how Ward was charged and pleaded guilty to careless driving causing serious bodily harm along with two summary road traffic offences after the van he was driving fled the scene.

Dinnegan, meanwhile and his co-accused Ward (26) both pleaded guilty to counts of affray.

Dinnegan miraculously sustained only bruising and “scrape like cuts” to his leg after he was struck at 60km/hr by a white Ford Transit van which had been driven by Michael Ward.

Gardaí had responded to a number of reports from members of the public to concerns of simmering hostilities between up to 30 members of the local travelling community.

The most urgent of those 999 calls arrived at around 4.30pm after eye-witnesses observed an individual lying on the ground in the middle of the estate and possibly dead.

When gardaí, including members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) arrived, they found Dinnegan stretched out on the ground in a vest and boxer shorts while being tended to by his wife and a number of others.

Giving evidence, Detective Sgt Keelan Brennan said he spoke to two sisters-in-law of Dinnegan who said the car salesman had been struck by a van being driven by Michael Ward Jnr.

Dinnegan was later taken by ambulance to Mullingar’s Midland Regional Hospital for treatment but “miraculously”, the court heard, sustained no serious injuries.

The court heard details of how Dinnegan’s wife, Teresa, had also later spoken to a sergeant, saying the driver of the van was a member of the Keenan family who the Stokes’ had been at odds with.

A large-scale garda investigation followed resulting in 136 witness statements and over 80 exhibits.

Judge Kenneth Connolly was told that the feud had stemmed from a decision taken by a member of the Keenan family to stop short of posing for a photo with a member of the Stokes’ over the Christmas period.

Judge Connolly sentenced Dinnegan to two years and two months in prison for affray, suspending the final eight months for a period of two years.

​The judge said while Noel Ward played a “less culpable” role than his co-accused and despite his otherwise previous good character, a custodial sentence was something the court could not desist from.

​He sentenced him to 19 months in prison, suspending the final five months for a period of 18 months and in doing so ordered both Dinnegan and Ward to have no association with firearms going forward.

​Michael Ward Jnr, meanwhile, was remanded on bail to a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court on November 5 for the purposes of a probation report.