Gardaí investigating the murder of convicted drug dealer, Gerard Stanton in Cork city are trying to trace the movements of a van which they believed was used by those involved in the killing.
Mr Stanton (41) was shot at close range by a gunman armed with what is believed to have been a double barrel sawn-off shotgun and he suffered wounds to both his chest and his side under his arm in the shooting which happened at around 7.50pm last night.
The shooting happened as Mr Stanton was about to get into his car along with his partner, Karen O'Flynn (28) who had already put her two children into the back of their Audi car as the couple were preparing to leave their house at Westlawn off Sarsfield Road in Cork.
Gardaí under Supt Charlie Barry of Togher Garda Station, who is heading up the investigation, today issued a description of the gunman as being around 6ft in height and wearing dark clothing and a balaclava.
Supt Barry explained that gardai believe that the gunman then walked to a red 92 C registered Toyota Liteace van which was parked at parking area to the side of the terrace of houses where Mr Stanton had lived for the past year or so with her partner and her children.
Supt Barry said they believe that the gunman may have been waiting in the van for some time and watching Mr Stanton's house before the victim exited and he appealed to anyyone who may have seen the van in the Westlawn area to contact gardai at Togher on 021-4947129.
"The van was also fitted with bullbars so anyone living in that area may have seen it last night or prior to that because this attack was well planned," said Supt Barry who revealed that van was later found burnt out some four miles away in a field at Castlewhite in Waterfall.
Gardaí are seeking to establish if the van travelled to Castlewhite via the South Link Road or whether it went up towards Spur Hill and then travelled via a country road to Chetwynd and across the Cork-Bandon Road which would have enabled the driver to avoid traffic lights.
The Irish Times understands that gardai have established that the van was bought cheaply some weeks back as a "company car" and detectives are currently trying to trace its ownership in the hope that it may lead them to those responsible for the killing.
Yesterday, Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a post-mortem at Cork University Hospital on the remains of Mr Staunton who was originally from Kilkieran Close in Hollyhill in Cork and was well known to gardaí.
Mr Stanton had some 63 previous convictions for various offences including drug dealing, serious assault, public order, larceny and road traffic offences. He received his first conviction in July 1985 at the age of 16 and had spent several years in prison.
He was sentenced to four years in jail at the Special Criminal Court in 1998 for drug dealing and more recently had served sentences for drug dealing and assault and was due to go on trial next month at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on cannabis and cocaine dealing charges.
