At first, the schoolboy thought he was earning pocket money by simply delivering bottles of milk and collecting dockets around the estates - something he'd seen other boys doing. But everything changed in 2004, when Kenny and accomplice Hinchon murdered 25-year-old Jonathan O'Reilly as he sat in a car outside a Dublin prison in a bloody gangland hit. Joey O’Callaghan was just 18 years old when he became a ghost – the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. Just a child, he is sitting in a pub opposite Marlo Hyland – one of the most feared crimelords in the Dublin underworld. We’d have jeeps coming from England and they’d be full of heroin.". "I don’t think I’d be alive today if I hadn’t had her," he says, "because the world gave up on me and she was the person who still wanted me.". "I just didn’t know what to do. And make sure it f***ing drops," Joey tells us. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. But incredibly, the illicit deliveries were only the start of the youngster's nightmare. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. “They were feeding me drugs when I was a child and it’s all about coercion and control. "The fact that he was groomed into a drug gang as a young child and how that was done is a hugely important social issue for all of us and cannot be ignored by middle-class society as something that just happens in working-class areas. Joe started out with a band called 'Boothouse' in 1970 with band… Turn … Joseph O’Callaghan’s mum recalls the night her son ran from dangerous gang Mary O’Callaghan was in the local pub with her partner, enjoying a few quiet Sunday night drinks when her mobile phone rang. In recent years and months, Joey has become more fearful of his life, with Kenny being allowed out on day release to see his family and even being moved to an open prison. I have a panic alarm with me, all my windows are bulletproof. Joey O'Callaghan, pictured talking to police, was just 19 when he became the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. "Joey was used and abused by Brian Kenny but we also have to accept the grim fact that the same was done to him by the state. I thought at least if I’m going to die, I’m going to die doing the right thing.". However, his sister Louise was not included in the secret programme but has been forced to flee her south inner city home with her children because of the campaign of terror. When the new school term started, Kenny refused to let Joey go back - instead giving him lines of cocaine to "revv" him up for the deliveries, and Valium to help his comedowns. "Brian said, 'You put it through the letterbox and you don’t move until you hear it drop. Joey O'Callaghan was just 18 years old when he became a ghost - the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. That’s the only way to describe Ireland’s criminal and paramilitary godfathers who continue to prey on vulnerable children. Eventually, Kenny - who modelled himself on telly gangster Tony Soprano - even forced Joey to move into his CCTV-laden mobsters' paradise, which was surrounded by an electric fence. Joey was just 18 years old when he became a ghost - the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. Now living outside Ireland due to the threat on his life, Joey — whose extraordinary story was told by Sunday World Investigations Editor Nicola Tallant in bestselling book The Witness — described the move as “extremely important”. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The young hoods enjoyed holidays funded by the gang boss and were offered cash to help run the cartel’s drug ­smuggling operation. By the time he turned 18, Joey had started wearing gloves to bag the drugs because when he put his hands to his face, his lips were numb for hours. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Kids — as young as ten — are offered trainers, clothing and cash to store drugs, act as runners and watch for cops. The evidence of supergrass Joseph O'Callaghan played a major role in Kenny and Hinchon being convicted. He told the Irish Sun: “Young people who are tempted to get involved in organised crime should ask themselves: Is their Gucci jacket worth your life? ‘Mam, I’ve got Joey here with me, he’s in a bit of trouble. by Nicola Tallant Joey O'Callaghan was just 18 years old when he became a ghost - the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. Sunday World crime writer Nicola Tallant has told the often tragic story of gangland figure Joey ‘The Lips’ O’Callaghan in compelling style John Walshe. Groomed into a drug gang from the age of 10, a cold-blooded assassination sickened him to his core, and he broke the golden bond of gangland silence. The gangster, Joey claims, also sexually abused him. Nicola says: “In writing this book I hope to take the reader right into the dark heart of gangland, a place where a bullet in the head is just another way of doing business. Days later, still traumatised by what he'd witnessed, Joey found himself being handed a bag of heroin during a milk round. Later in the week, he'd collect £4,000 in smack payments along with the milk money, handing every penny to Kenny. 'A superb book... Joey's story is extraordinary and its authenticity and relevance to the times we're living in is stunning' Eamon Dunphy 'Gritty, terrifying and the most incredible true gangland story you will ever read. Joey ‘The Lips’ O’Callaghan — who gave evidence against psychotic gangsters Brian Kenny, 50, and Thomas ­Hinchon, 40, for the murder of Jonathan O’Reilly, 25, on April 17, 2004 — yesterday praised the vow to make the grooming of kids into a life of crime a criminal offence. Groomed into a drug gang from the age of 10, a cold- blooded assassination sickened him to his core, and … Joey 'The Lips' O'Callaghan was groomed into the underworld as a young child but as he became a man he broke all the rules and his story is a testament … But the new law is designed to address the impact of the “harm” experienced by a kid after they were drawn into a world of crime. Joe has over 30 years’ hands-on experience at process improvement, including the practical application of Lean and Six Sigma methodologies. SLIPPING the bag of heroin through his 100th letterbox that day, 12-year-old Joey O'Callaghan caught sight of the little girl watching TV inside the house. "Brian was like Jekyll and Hyde," says Joey. Without being rude, sometimes I was p***ing blood. Today, Joey - who ended up getting signed off the Programme - says he's in the best place he's ever been, with a job and regular medication, though he is rarely able to see his family. “They can come after me all they want. In the following years, Joey experienced life on the Witness Protection Programme - which he describes in detail in his and Nicola's book. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. Though, he claims, gangland hits are carried out for as little as £2,000 a pop, his murder comes at a premium because he's considered "a rat". Knowing exactly what to do, she then took the drugs to her sprawled-out mum, shaking her awake. Barely out of primary school when he was groomed into a life of crime, Joey spent years being fed cocaine, brutally beaten and even shot at by ruthless drug kingpin Brian Kenny. I can see that the young people are still getting sucked into crime in Ireland and I really do fear for them.”. Joey O’Callaghan testified against Kenny and his accomplice Thomas Hinchon who were both convicted. "A lot of people don’t appreciate the moment until it’s gone. He says, over the years, he's become aware of bounties on his head. “I think this piece of legislation is something that was urgently needed and will go a long way to ­preventing criminals from targeting vulnerable children. … Justice Minister McEntee said: “We must tackle crime at all levels and in all areas of our society — from stopping the gang bosses committing the most awful crimes to preventing them leading our young into a life of crime. Above, Nicola talks to Joey, Joey was delighted to get a job delivering milk - but he soon found himself dropping off something much deadlier (file picture), Joey claims mobster Kenny forced him to slip bags of heroin through letterboxes, warning him: "You don’t move until you hear it drop", Joey, who spent years trapped in Kenny's grip, describes his experience of the Witness Protection Programme in detail in his and Nicola's new book, Murder victim Jonathan O'Reilly, 25, was gunned down as he sat in a car outside a Dublin prison in April 2004, The scene of the shooting, which has haunted Joey for nearly two decades, Kenny's accomplice Thomas Hinchon was also jailed for life over the murder, Joey, who now wears a bulletproof vest whenever he goes out, carries a picture of Jonathan, above, in his wallet in his memory, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). “[Kenny] called me into the kitchen, handed me a gun and said, 'Go out to the field and hide that now'," he adds. ", Brian got him on the ground and smashed him all up with a hammer. I can go to the shop, but I have to wear a bulletproof vest, a mask, a hat, a scarf around my face. Now, nearly two decades on, Joey is set to release an explosive new book - The Witness, with investigative journalist Nicola Tallant - about his ordeal at the hands of "Jekyll and Hyde" Kenny. "One minute he could be hugging me, telling me I was his son and he loved me, the next minute he’d be beating the s*** out of me or abusing me.". “If you tried to escape, you’d get electrocuted," says Joey. We had loads of stuff in the field - drugs, guns, money. Christmas morning, I’d be out delivering heroin," he recalls. Other young criminals who were groomed include double killer Gary Howard who was in the pay of Eamon ‘The Don’ Dunne. 6 minutes ago | 0 views. I could hear his screams, bones crack, everything. Under current legislation, an adult who uses a child to commit a crime can be found guilty as a “principal offender” and punished as if they committed the crime. “When I was 11 I was selling bags of heroin and I was sucked into a world that I had no way of escaping. “I’ve been in a room by myself for the last 16 years. In the van, he had a gun under the seat.”. His evidence saw Kenny and mobster Thomas Hinchon caged for murder - with brave Joey, then aged 19, becoming the youngest ever person to enter the Witness Protection Programme. ", Afterwards, Kenny used milk to wash the blood off his hands. At the mansion, Kenny would allegedly rape Joey in his 'man cave'. He now goes by a different identity, Brave Joey, seen as a child, was barely out of primary school when he was groomed into running heroin on milk rounds, His evidence saw ruthless Irish gangster Brian Kenny, pictured, caged for murder, Joey, now aged 35, has penned an explosive new book, The Witness, with investigative journalist Nicola Tallant. "This legislation will further seek to protect children from being drawn into a life of criminality, with all the potential lifetime consequences that entails, and to further disrupt the activity of criminals within our communities.”. Sitting between her unconscious parents, the tiny child's ears pricked at the familiar sound and she walked over, crouching down to collect the package of brown stones. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. But, Joey says, once it was confirmed he had, "they were celebrating, jumping up and down, doing coke, smoking heroin, cheers-ing drinks". His fears escalated when Kenny allegedly forced him to stand in the field and fired a shotgun above his head and at either side of his body. And in his first UK interview ahead of the book's publication this week, he tells Sun Online that he is still living as a "ghost", fearing one day he will be shot dead by the gangsters. Threatened with death if he tried to escape, Joey had no way out - yet when Kenny carried out a cold-blooded assassination, he finally broke the golden bond of gangland silence and went to police. This is … She tells Sun Online: “Joey O'Callaghan's story is so important in so many ways not least that he had a ringside seat in the secretive world of gangland for so long and is able to articulate what that is like in its rawest form. Amid his own terror, Joey couldn't stop thinking about Jonathan's family. For years Joey ‘The Lips’ O’Callaghan was immersed in the world of gangland after being groomed as a young child to work for evil Brian Kenny. Groomed into a drug gang from the age of 10, a cold-blooded assassination sickened him to his core, and he broke the golden bond of gangland silence. Joey O'Brien, from Crumlin, his partner and children and other family members have been given new lives as part of the Witness Security Programme, probably outside the jurisdiction. About For Books The Witness Review The Witness is undoubtedly the most extraordinary story of my career. His evidence won murder convictions against two of the most violent drug bosses in Ireland. O’Reilly was shot dead by the pillion passenger on a … View our online Press Pack. Trapped in Kenny's grip, he felt helpless. But in 14-year-old Joey O’Callaghan’s case, it is more Young Fellas. The recent crackdown on Ireland’s godfather comes after the Justice Minister got approval to increase the maximum ­sentence for conspiracy to murder from ten years to life. PARASITES. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. "Kids on the rounds with their nappies hanging off them. He added: “The godfathers might offer you nice things but when you can’t pay up they will burn your house down and target the ones that you love. And the young thug who was just 14 when he killed innocent Lorcan O’Reilly in 2015 was under the wing of  killer Fat Freddie Thompson before he was convicted of manslaughter. He has gigged regularly for the past five decades and is still going strong. The bill — part of the Programme for Government — will create an offence where an adult “compels, coerces, induces or invites a child” to engage in criminal activity. SLIPPING the bag of heroin through his 100th letterbox that day, 12-year-old Joey O'Callaghan caught sight of the little girl watching TV inside … Joey O’Callaghan was just 18 years old when he became a ghost – the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. Joe O'Callaghan is well known on the Cork music scene as a master harmonica player and for his high energy performance as one of the best frontmen in Cork. He even carries a picture of Jonathan in his wallet in his memory. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Anyone ­convicted of grooming kids into gangs will get a five-year prison sentence under a new bill, Young Joey O'Callaghan was coerced into crime, Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). "Until Kenny and Hinchon get me, I don’t think they’ll ever stop," says Joey, a father of two. This was at 4am. When he does, he says, it's like a "military operation". "I remember one guy didn’t pay and [Kenny] went in and chopped him up with a machete. In tomorrow's Sunday World, don't miss exclusive extracts from Nicola Tallant's new book 'THE WITNESS' - The true story of gangland murder in Ireland and how Joey 'The Lips' O'Callaghan shattered the underworld code. But he says every time he thinks of Jonathan's mum - and her joy at getting justice - he knows he's done the right thing. But when older they move into arranging drugs shipments, acting as enforcers and offering their services as contract killers. His evidence won murder convictions against two of the most violent drug bosses in Ireland. Joey O'Callaghan was just 18 years old when he became a ghost - the youngest ever person to be signed up to the Witness Protection Programme. Oct 27, 2020. There's probably a good chance I’m going to die with a bullet because of what I’ve done," says Joey, now 35 and living under a different identity. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He adds: “The rape got worse, the abuse got worse. As a state witness, Joey's evidence won murder convictions against Kenny, then 36, and Hinchon, 25, who were jailed for life. The pair were also convicted of threatening to kill Joey. News Sport Region Music Person Profession. Then, in his first of endless threats to Joey, he snarled: "That’s what’ll happen if you ever rob owt from me. Often offered a life of luxury, the reality is very much different once their control takes hold. AWARD-winning investigative journalist and The Witness author Nicola Tallant says children being groomed into drug gangs can't be ignored as something that "just happens in working-class areas". Joseph O’Callaghan, the prosecutor told the jury, was handed a gun that was wrapped in plastic and Mr Kenny told him to hide the gun in the fields. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. “I knew Jonathan deserved justice, his family deserved justice," he tells us. Joey, who spent time in England while in witness protection, first met Kenny in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, where the youngster and his family lived near infamous heroin gang The Westies. He says a lack of support left him destitute, alone and suicidal. He now goes by a … The Witness is hard to put down but will be harder to forget.' Though he didn't know exactly what it was, he could guess it was drugs. Groomed into a drug gang from the age of 10, Joey O'Callaghan broke the golden bond of gangland silence.

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