Notorious mob boss Cornelius Price has died in a Welsh hospital after a long illness.
Price, 41, was the leader of a dangerous crime gang that operated out of Gormanstown, Co Meath and which had close ties to one of the sides in the recent Drogheda feud. Gardai have been notified about Price’s death in the UK - where he had been suffering from limbic encephalitis and in a gravely ill state in a Welsh hospital since late 2021.
The mobster has been on trial in the UK over a kidnap and blackmail plot - but had been unable to attend court due to his serious illness. It can now be revealed for the first time that gardai believe Price was directly behind the ruthless murders of tragic couple Willie Maughan, 34, and his pregnant partner Ana Varslavane, 21, on April 14 2015.
Read more: Gang boss laughed at mum who asked for return of son's remains for Christian burial
It is believed Price ordered their murders and the subsequent disposing of their remains in a shocking case which continues to make headlines to this day. The couple were murdered on Price’s heavily fortified compound in Gormanstown - before it is believed their remains were cremated.
The remains of the tragic couple have never been recovered - and evil Price now takes whatever secrets he had about their deaths to his grave. Price is said to have frequently boasted about the couple’s murder and claimed that their bodies would never be found.
The depraved mobster, who escaped justice for the murders, is believed to have ordered the couple’s killing in a disgusting attempt to protect his drug empire. Gardai suspect Willie and his girlfriend were murdered on the orders of Cornelius Price because he had too much information about the murder of Benny Whitehouse.
In an affidavit recently filed with the High Court as part of a Criminal Assets Bureau case against mobster Owen Maguire and his brother Brendan, a Garda Detective Inspector said: “It is my belief that members of the Price-Maguire OGC carried out the double murder.
“Both William and Anastasija were last seen alive at a property belonging to Mr Price.” Price’s gang are also suspected in the murder of Benny Whitehouse, a 36-year-old man who was shot dead in September 2014.
Mr Whitehouse was shot dead at Clonard Street, Balbriggan, as part of a separate feud – in front of his partner having just dropped their child to school. Last month, Irish man Darren McClean - a close associate of Price, was found guilty after a two month trial at Wood Green Crown Court in London, of his role in the kidnap and €337k (£330k) blackmail plot.
Earlier, the 37-year-old was cleared of two charges of kidnap. McClean was the only one out of five alleged associates of Price who was found guilty following a lengthy trial.
Drogheda criminal Mark Kavanagh, 34, - who has been described in an affidavit filed to the High Court as part of the Criminal Assets Bureau case against paralysed mob boss Owen Maguire and his brother Brendan - as “a prominent member of the Price-Maguire Organised Crime Group,” was acquitted of conspiring to falsely imprison the brothers and conspiracy to blackmail them.
Three others - Danny Bridges, 41, of Stourport-on-Severn; Lisa Finnerty, 39, of Lanchashire and Quincey Bramble, 33, of East London were also acquitted of the charges against them.
Price was charged with conspiring to falsely imprison and blackmail the two brothers in July 2020 - but his trial was adjourned indefinitely due to his ill health.
Price - whom gardai believe was a key figure in one of the two gangs involved in the Drogheda feud - fled to the UK following a wave of violence in Drogheda - including the killing of teen Keane Mulready Woods after threats were issued on his life.
Price had close ties to Drogheda mobster Owen Maguire - who was heavily embroiled in a bitter gangland feud with another mob in the area.
It was that feud that led to the horrific murder of Keane Mulready Woods - prompting Price to get directly involved and seek revenge.
Price’s mob went to war and sought out those they believed responsible - chiefly the now slain mobster Robbie Lawlor, who gardai believe murdered the teen.
When Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast in April 2020, Price was filmed celebrating by drinking Captain Morgan's rum in a video which was widely circulated on social media.
Price had a long history of run-ins with the law - driving straight at a uniformed garda at high speed in January 2014.
In February 2017 he was found guilty of endangering a garda at Balbriggan Garda Station and was sentenced to three years imprisonment.
In May 2019, Price was released from prison and not long after that he took a ferry to the UK.
He was believed to have then spent time in Bulgaria in eastern Europe before returning to Ireland and eventually fleeing to the UK again at the height of the Drogheda feud.
Price believed he was under imminent threat from the gang connected to psycho Robbie Lawlor - and a price of €100,000 was reportedly placed on his head.
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