EXCLUSIVE | 

Notorious gangster and murder suspect John Mangan scared to leave prison cell

Alleged gangland killer afraid of attack from rivals’ ‘middleman’

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A notorious gangster, named in court as being involved in the murders of mobster Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell, is refusing to leave his jail cell for fear of being attacked and killed by rival criminals.

John Mangan, who is in the final weeks of a 14-year sentence for gun and drug offences, has refused to leave his cell on the A wing in Portlaoise Prison for several weeks.

It’s understood the 55-year-old — who is due for release from prison in March — sought protection status under prison rule 63, claiming his life was under threat from a number of named criminals.

Rule 63 provides that an inmate’s movements can be restricted so as to provide for the protection of vulnerable prisoners either at their own request or when the governor considers it necessary.

None of the criminals named by Mangan are currently in the top security prison’s A-wing, however he expressed fears that he could be attacked or killed by a middleman who would then be paid by his rivals.

Security concerns regarding Mangan’s move to self-isolate were raised by officers on the wing in December after food was dropped into his cell on one occasion.

Sources said the matter was reviewed and Mangan has since been receiving meals from a trolley as is normal in such cases.

“Mangan brought his concerns for his safety to the governor and a risk assessment was carried out,” a source told the Sunday World.

“Those he named as behind the threat are not based in A-wing but the decision was taken at his request to allow him to be incarcerated on a restricted regime for his own protection.

“The issue around the meal deliveries occurred in mid-December and was reviewed.”

Contacted for comment this week, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said it does not comment on matters relating to individual inmates.

Mangan has long been regarded as one of Ireland’s most notorious criminals.

A former member of the Marlo Hyland mob, the 55-year-old escaped from Loughan House open prison in October 2021 after sending threats to a Dublin man claiming that his son owed him €10,000 for drugs.

He was caught riding a motorbike around Park West Industrial Estate in Dublin at around 3pm one November afternoon a number of weeks later.

Garda Gary Farrell told Jennifer Jackson BL that Mangan ignored the garda instruction to stop the vehicle which led to a high-speed pursuit that lasted about 20 minutes.

It came to an end after gardai, using the assistance of the air support unit, set up a roadblock on Carpenterstown Road, in Castleknock.

Garda Farrell confirmed that during the chase Mangan drove through a number of red lights, overtook and undertook vehicles into oncoming traffic, drove around a roundabout the wrong way, drove onto a footpath, narrowly missing a pedestrian, and drove into oncoming traffic during which he nearly collided with a number of vehicles.

Mangan pleaded guilty to a charge of endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance around the Lucan and Castleknock area of Dublin on November 9, 2021.

His defence counsel, Kieran Kelly BL submitted that it was during lockdown and Mangan was anxious to visit his partner after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Mangan to 15 months which he said must be served consecutively to his current term. He further disqualified Mangan from driving for two years.

When Mangan was handed down a 14-year jail term in May 2008 after he was caught with a loaded handgun in the toilet of a pub, he was already on bail for possession of cannabis resin valued at €341,787.

It was while he was in custody for these offences that journalist Paul Williams, in evidence given before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March 2012, alleged that he and fellow imprisoned criminal Willie Hynes were responsible for the December 2006 double murder of gang-boss Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell.

Mr Williams also alleged the late Eamon Dunne acted as the getaway driver in the hit.

Nobody has ever been charged over the horror killings.

Both Hynes’ and Mangan’s jail sentences related to the massive drugs bust which caused Marlo Hyland’s prolific drugs gang to implode in 2006 and which ultimately led to Hyland’s murder.

The pair were snared after a massive operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit at Browns Barn, Dublin, on July 31, 2006.

More than €2m worth of cannabis resin was seized by gardai in 14 boxes split between a Ford Transit van and an Opel Astra car in Browns Barn public house car park.

The two men were arrested nearby.

After a dramatic trial in November 2009, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a 12-year sentence on Hynes and a 14-year sentence on Mangan.