According to RTE Caolan Smyth was handed a 20 year sentence for his role in the shooting of James Gately, which occurred on May 10, 2017. Gately was shot five times at a petrol station near Dublin Airport. Gately survived the shooting thanks to a bulletproof vest he was wearing, which absorbed four of the five bullets. The other bullet hit Gately in the jaw.
Smyth, a former All-Ireland youth boxing champion, is alleged to be an associate of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG); a $1 billion narcotics trafficking operation. Gately is reportedly a member of the Hutch Gang.