The 29-year-old was previously cleared of involvement in Ashley Dale's murder but is now beginning a lengthy jail term
Ian Fitzgibbon has been jailed for nearly 15 years after being unmasked as the EncroChat user "Vimto Hawk". The 29-year-old, who was previously cleared of the murder of Ashley Dale , utilised the encrypted communications platform to trade heroin and cocaine with associates including Niall Barry and Sean Zeisz - the organisers of the fatal shooting.
A "note" recovered from his device, dating back to October 2019, referred to him accruing £33,000 in "wages", while his supposedly secret conversations spoke of "moving a large quantity of drugs using his father's name" and a 50kg stash of heroin being available in London. On April 29 2020, he "tasked" Zeisz with purchasing half a kilogram of cocaine then, on May 11, sold three kilograms to Barry in a deal which was "brokered" by Zeisz.
Donal McGuire, defending, told the court that his client had written a letter to the judge in which he "set out his hopes for the future, his regret, his shame" and "his knowledge that he has let a lot of people down". He added: "It is the remorse of a man who has been able to reflect upon his offending, what he has done and the harm to his community in a change of circumstances for him.
"That is the type of event that can change a person such as Ian Fitzgibbon, which causes him to reflect upon those very poor lifestyle matters that bring him before the court today. He knows his life has to change. Fitzgibbon admitted conspiracy to supply heroin and cocaine and possession of criminal property. Appearing in the dock wearing a blue Columbia top and sporting short dark hair, he showed no reaction as he was jailed for 14-and-a-half years.
"That is because - despite the highly criminal nature of these discussions, despite the profits being made and the high stakes for which you were playing - you and those you were conspiring with thought your activities would never come to light.
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