A nephew of Euromillions winner Dolores McNamara has hired Saddam Hussein's lawyer to get him off his life sentence for murder. Anthony 'Noddy' McCarthy (22) has called in Italian-born Giovanni Di Stefano (51). Known as the 'Devil's advocate' di Stefano's client list reads like a who's who of some of the world's worst criminals. And he will not come "cheap" his office confirmed yesterday.
A secretary said that McCarthy is not entitled to legal aid for the appeal. McCarthy is currently serving a life sentence for the gangland murder of Kieran Keane. A close relative of the €115m winner shouted to gardai the morning after she scooped the jackpot they would "buy Noddy out of jail".
But Ms McNamara is said to have been disgusted by Keane's murder and is adamant her money will not be used to fund any appeal. McCarthy has now changed his former legal aid defence team of Madden & Finucane solicitors in Belfast for the controversial Italian. Di Stefano's London office confirmed yesterday it will be taking over McCarthy's case when the appeal is listed for mention on November 4.
The Italian will be the third solicitor McCarthy has engaged to fight the murder charge. His trial solicitor was Aneas McCarthy, now a judge of the District Court. His appeal was taken up by Madden & Finucane solicitors. Di Stefano is also going to handle the appeal of McCarthy's co-accused Dessie Dundon, who is not related to the lottery winner. Dundon, a first cousin and best friend of McCarthy's, was previously represented by Dublin based solicitor Gareth Sheehan.
It also emerged recently that Di Stefano has been engaged by drugs baron John Gilligan to handle his appeal, as well as by drug runner Patrick "Dutchy" Holland. He also recently engaged the services of QC Jerome Lynch and Trevor Burke to handle McCarthy's and Dundon's case for him.
They have also retained the services of an Irish barrister. Both QCs are amongst the top criminal law experts in the UK and are thought to earn in excess of €1m each per year.
McCarthy and Dundon were convicted in the Central Criminal Court in December 2003 along with three others after a four-week trial for the murder of Kieran Keane on January 29, 2003.
Keane was lured into a trap by McCarthy and Dundon, who telephoned him and asked him to come to a house in the Fairgreen, Garryowen.
He arrived with his nephew Owen Treacy and later that night they were taken in a van to Drombana, around two miles outside the city, and Keane was shot dead with a single round to the back of the head. Treacy was stabbed around 17 times and left for dead.