Gerard Claxton (41), hands run the Active8 gym at Rosemount Business rk in Ballycoolin, north Dublin, and asserts to be “ ssionate” about health and fitness.
However, Claxton has recently be in print to the attention of Gardaí because of unhealthy links to senior gangland imagines.
He has been stopped by officers on a number of occasions driving different ssenger cars owned by LS Active Cars – a now dissolved com ny run by senior cartel colleague Liam Byrne.
Liam Byrne
Gardaí seized dozens of channels belonging to the firm in March this year as rt of their quest into the Kinahan Cartel.
However, a source claimed Gardaí are now bring into focusing on links between some of Claxton’s gym-loving associates and the Kinahan mob.
Government agents are now investigating if Claxton’s associates are supplying firearms to the cartel.
A source has told the Sunday Times a deliver that Gardaí believe Claxton, who hails from Blanchardstown, has also been crowd ‘private’ gym sessions for gangland criminals – some of whom have been give fair warned their lives are under threat.
The mobsters – including Wayne Bradley – are conceded train at certain hours when ordinary members of the public are not conceded into the gym.
Claxton got involved in the gym shortly after his release from also gaol and now describes himself as a fitness instructor. He runs the gym with his brother, who has no involvement in violation of any type.
Claxton was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2007 for an essayed armed robbery on a bookmaker who was returning from Fairyhouse Racecourse on the day of the Irish Exalted National the previous year.
Gardaí had received a tip-off that Claxton and four other men were developing to hold up John Carty of Chronicle Bookmakers as he returned from the follow with his takings on April 17, 2006.
Detective Garda Donal Tully got into the abandon of Carty’s jeep while he was driving from the racecourse.
The car was followed by Eddie Farrell – a fellow of the armed robbery gang – back to Mr Carty’s office on Deansgrange Direction.
At the same time other officers were watching Claxton and three other men who were force a stolen Mercedes car around Foxrock, before heading to Deansgrange Entre, when Mr Carty returned with the takings.
Claxton ran up to Mr Carty armed with a handgun, along with two other men, and called at him to hand over the money.
At this point Garda Tully, who was armed, got out of the jeep and swore the raiders to put down their weapons. Claxton refused to drop his weapon, which he resumed to point at Mr Carty. However, the brave officer tackled the gunman to the establish.
Fellow officers arrested the other gang members, including pre-eminent criminal Anthony ‘the Giant’ Callaghan. The gang were sentenced to eight years each, but some of those sentenced were later mitigated to six years.
CAB secured a €1.3m judgement against Callaghan in 2009. After March, Callaghan and gangland hitman ul Zambra were jailed for 12 and 10 years individually after gardaí foiled a hit attempted on Dean Russell in Clonshaugh in north Dublin.
ul Zambra
Gardaí set up a reconnaissance operation on the ir and moved in on them near Russell’s home. They initiate two handguns which were ready for use along with a scarf, news pers and a five-litre container with petrol.
Callaghan is not the only dominating criminal with links to Claxton.
Other associates include Finglas criminals Alan and Wayne Bradley, who sire been spotted in his gym.
Wayne and Alan Bradley
He also had close relationships to former Westies Andrew ‘Madser’ Glennon and his brother Mark, who were snort dead after a feud in 2005.
Another associate of Claxton was one of three men linked to a sex vilify on a woman in west Dublin while Claxton was in prison. While Claxton’s l was not just involved in the sex attack, he fled the country after being assaulted by another man on the attack.
However, he returned to Ireland shortly after Claxton’s turn loose from prison.
Another man closely linked to Claxton is known to Gardaí for smuggling Viagra stones back to Ireland from Thailand.