Cornelius Price
 | This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (February 2023) |
Cornelius Price (c. 1980-2023) was an Irish organised crime gang leader.[1][2][3] While he lived in Ireland, he lived in Gormanston, County Meath.[4]
Family
Criminal history
He was convicted of reckless endangerment by driving a van at a Garda at Balbriggan Garda station – the Garda had to jump out of the way.[1][2][3] Price was sentenced to three years imprisonment for this and was released in May 2019.[1][2][3]
He was a chief suspect in the death of Benny Whitehouse and also in the disappearances of William Maughan and Anna Varslavane.[1][2][3] He was believed to have lured the couple to his residence in Gormanstown, where they were murdered.[4] He is also believed to have ordered a pipe bomb attack on the sister of William Maughan shortly after the latter went missing.[4]
Drogheda feud
Gardaí believe that he was the leader of one of the gangs in the Drogheda feud.[1][2][3] His gang is known as the Price-Maguire organised group, which has close ties with several other gangs, including the McCarthy-Dundon gang from Limerick.[1][2][3] The feud led to four deaths.[1][2][3] The first was that of Keith Brannigan at Aisling Holiday park in Clogherhead, County Louth.[1][2][3] Robbie Lawlor, a rival of Price, ordered the murder of Keane Mulready-Woods.[1][2][3] Lawlor was himself shot dead three months later, with suspicions that associates of Price, as well as criminals from Limerick, being responsible.[1][2][3] A video of Price toasting the death of Lawlor circulated on social media.[1][2][3]
United Kingdom
Price left Ireland for the Midlands of the United Kingdom after the death of Mulready-Woods.[1][2][3] He was involved with the kidnapping and drugging of two brothers, who were forced to call their relatives for a £300,000 ransom.[1][2][3] They were rescued by armed police.[1][2][3] Darren McClean was convicted in relation to the offence.[1][2][3] Price was also charged in relation to the kidnapping, but was deemed too ill to go to court.[1][2][3] He was admitted to hospital with limbic encephalitis in Wales in 2021.[1][2][3]
Death
He died in hospital on 19 February 2023.[1][2][3] He was 41 years old.[1][2][3]
Funeral
Gardaí were planning a large policing operation around his funeral.[4] There were concerns that some of his enemies may attend the funeral.[4]
References
- ^ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 Reynolds, Paul (20 February 2023). "Cornelius Price: The life and death of a crime boss". RTÉ News. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
- ^ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 Gallagher, Conor (20 February 2023). "Notorious Irish gangland figure Cornelius Price dies in UK". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 O'Connor, Niall (20 February 2023). "Cornelius Price – Drogheda gang leader suspected of multiple murders – dies in Welsh hospital". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
- ^ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Gallagher, Conor (22 February 2023). "Cornelius Price death: Large-scale Garda operation expected at funeral". Irish Times. Retrieved 28 February 2023.