My innocent brother was murdered by the Kinahans’ bloodthirsty hit squad – cowering mob boss Daniel MUST pay the price

“THE world is getting smaller and people like Daniel Kinahan can’t run forever.”

These are the powerful words of a grieving sister of a Kinahan cartel murder victim, who insists there will be no justice until the leader of the notorious mob is behind bars.

Noeleen Barr, whose brother Michael, 36, was shot dead by a three-man hit team in a Dublin pub in April 2016, says time is running out for the “paymaster” behind the group’s horrific killing spree, which erupted on the streets of Ireland 10 years ago.

In total, 18 men have died – including innocent victims like Michael – since a deepening feud between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs turned deadly.

On February 5, 2016, the war reached a horrific nadir with the infamous Regency Hotel attack, which saw Daniel’s trusted lieutenant David Byrne gunned down by masked raiders – and sparked a bloody revenge campaign over the following months.

Now, the net is closing in on the slippery mob boss – as told in The Sun’s brilliant new podcast, Kinahans: Downfall.

At present, the Director of Public Prosecutions is currently examining extensive investigation files after Daniel, 47, emerged as a “person of interest” in the murder of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch’s brother Eddie on February 8, 2016.

He’s also suspected by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau of directing the activities of an organised crime gang during the deadly Kinahan and Hutch feud in 2016 and 2017.

Although cartel foot soldiers Eamon Cumberton, 39, David Hunter, 46 and Christopher Slator, 40 are serving life for dad-of-five Michael’s murder on April 25, 2016, Noeleen, from Strabane, Co Tyrone, told of her hopes the head of the transnational crime group will face justice.

She told us: “Daniel Kinahan was the man who funded the onslaught against families and brought nothing but misery to countless lives. He was the one pulling the strings.

“He continues to lead a life of luxury in Dubai while we will suffer for the rest of our lives.

“His organisation thought they could break us but our bond is only stronger now.

“The three people who killed Michael that night are nothing but scum who were desperate for money and we don’t care about them.

“But almost ten years after we lost Michael, our hope is that we get to see the paymaster Daniel Kinahan brought before a court.

“Ten years on and Michael is my thoughts every single day – the person that orchestrated his murder deserves to face justice.”

She also said: “The best news we could get on the tenth anniversary of Michael’s murder is that Daniel Kinahan has been arrested.

“All of the families who were targeted by this man’s ruthless criminal organisation deserve to see him in court.”

Execution plotters

Investigators believe Barr, who had been living in Dublin for nine years before his killing, was targeted because the Kinahan cartel suspected he was one of the gunmen involved in the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016.

In the weeks before the murder, Cumberton’s best pal and contract killer Jonathan Keogh – who murdered Gareth Hutch in May 2016 – had made secret trips to Strabane, Co Tyrone.

They were on a scouting mission after identifying Kevin ‘Flat Cap’ Murray as one of the gunmen at the Regency Hotel.

Investigators also believe Keogh was given €100,000 by the cartel to identify targets for execution.

They also had support from cartel fixer Martin ‘The Ghost’ Aylmer, who provided phones and trackers to be used in kill plots.

But Noeleen believes they identified her brother as a target because he was from the same town as Murray, who later died after an illness.

She added: “I honestly think they killed Michael because he was an easy target.

“Once they established that Michael was from the same town as Murray I think that’s when they decided to kill him.

“They had absolutely no shred of evidence that Michael was involved in the Regency. He didn’t know the Hutches and just lived in the north inner city so he could be close to Croke Park.

Michael was a focal point of our family and we all still miss him so muchNoeleen

“I also think they killed him because they knew he had republican views and they wanted to send out a message.

“If Michael had been involved in any feud he would not have stayed in Dublin when the Kinahans were on the rampage killing people.

“So many lives have been shattered by that criminal organisation and that’s why it’s important for the man who called the shots to face justice.”

Noeleen added: “The only thing that Michael lived for were his children, his family, GAA, Celtic and Liverpool.

“We wanted him to come home because of what the Kinahans were doing but he stayed in Dublin because he wasn’t involved in any feud.”

Former Det Insp John Bates, who was the senior investigating officer on the probe before his retirement in 2019, told how Gardai had recovered “no evidence” that Michael was part of the Hutch Organised Crime Group.

Michael was also never questioned about the Regency Hotel incident and was never identified as a “person of interest”.

Mr Bates added: “When we were investigating the Barr murder there was no suggestion he was part of an organised crime gang or the feud.

“We also did not receive any information or evidence that he was involved in the Regency Hotel attack.

“The Barr murder was ruthless and happened in front of innocent people in a bar.

“Thankfully those involved in the execution were all apprehended due to a very professional and excellent investigation.”

‘I think of Michael’s poor children’

Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the eighth murder of the feud, Noeleen also told of her family’s ongoing torment.

She said: “I often think of Michael and how he would have aged.

“I think of his poor children and the love that they have missed out on all these years.

“Michael was a focal point of our family and we all still miss him so much.

“One of his children was only five at the time of the murder and now they are beginning to ask questions.

“It has taken an awful toll on my parents and they continue to suffer from ill health because of the trauma.

“But we continue to hope and pray that we will see Daniel Kinahan in court.”

She added: “The law enforcement agencies are going up the ladder so hopefully this is the year when they reach the very top of that criminal organisation.

“Many families are still waiting for justice and they deserve to see it sooner rather than later.”

Following Michael’s murder, the cartel also murdered former Provisional IRA man Daithi Douglas after accusing him of being involved in a gun attack on Liam Byrne at the Red Cow hotel in November 2015.

But Gardai later established that Douglas had been in a bar in a different part of the capital when the murder bid happened.

One investigator told us: “The Kinahan cartel didn’t need any evidence to take someone’s life – a rumour was all they needed.

“They shot Douglas when he wasn’t anywhere near the Red Cow and it didn’t matter to them.

“They killed innocent people and soft targets because they could, but thankfully their power is now diminished after their hit teams were apprehended.”