EXCLUSIVE | 

CAB to seize Crumlin home of gangster Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley over €738k unpaid bills

Gangland figure Martin Foley could lose home over his failure to pay €738,000 penalty

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Veteran gangster Martin ‘the Viper’ Foley is facing having his house repossessed to pay off his massive Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) bill.

The 73-year-old was ordered to pay €738,449 in tax, interest and penalties after losing a Supreme Court appeal against a CAB case in 2020.

However, Foley, who has more than 60 convictions for offences, including assault, robbery and possession of threatening weapons, hasn’t paid off the massive bill more than four years later.

CAB have now initiated proceedings to take possession of Foley’s home in Crumlin to pay off some of what is owed to the State.

He was recently served with a civil bill accompanied by an affidavit setting out the claim being made against him.

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The State Solicitor told Dublin County Registrar Rita Considine that Foley had been served with the civil bill.

Foley was not present at the case but was represented by Keith Farry, BL, and the court heard the veteran criminal would put in a responding affidavit over the coming weeks.

The State Solicitor said after they receive that submission, they will need to see what is in it and would like time to respond with a final affidavit.

The court heard that process would be completed by May 30.

Once all the information is presented the registrar will either grant the order for possession, strike out or dismiss the case, or adjourn the case to allow time for Foley and CAB to reach an agreement.

In 2020, Foley exhausted all avenues of appeal against the Criminal Assets Bureau over a 1990s income tax bill.

The Supreme Court ruled he would have to pay a CAB tax and interest bill, which by 2020 had ballooned to over €738,000 for the years 1993/94 and 1999/2000.

He was hit with a tax bill of €218,000 for the years 1993/94 and 1999/2000.

He made payments totalling €40,000, reducing the bill to €178,000. In February 2002, he brought an appeal against the assessment, which was rejected.

However, the bill ballooned because of interest and penalties on the unpaid sum over more than 11 years.

Foley’s co-accused Alan Nulty had already pleaded guilty and been sentenced for making the threat to kill.

Nulty was working for Viper Debt Recovery – a company founded by Martin Foley – when he threatened tenant Mr Doolin he would ‘have his throat slit while he walked his dog’ if he didn’t come up with €4,000 in rent arrears.

Nulty uttered that threat, and another that he would “get someone to smash your head with a hammer” while attempting to collect the debt.

Foley has been involved in criminality for decades and was a member of the gang led by notorious criminal Martin ‘the General’ Cahill who was shot dead outside his Dublin home in 1994.

Foley has himself survived four attempts on his life by criminals and republicans.

He set up a debt recovery firm two decades ago and last year he was pictured with former CAB target Jonathan Gill calling to a property in the Midlands, suggesting the pair have joined forces in an apparent debt-collection enterprise.

Gill, from Dublin’s Malahide Road, was previously acquitted of tiger kidnapping charges. He has been advertising his services as a ‘mediator’ and negotiator for over two years.

In January, the High Court struck out a claim by Foley and his wife Sonya against the former Dublin city sheriff and the State following a CAB raid on their home 10 years ago

He claimed a breach of privacy occurred when his home was searched on October 15, 2014,as members of the media arrived outside the house during the search.

The couple claimed various rights including their right to privacy, data protection rights and the right to enjoyment of their home were breached.