Man pleads guilty to attempted murder of gangland criminal

A man has admitted that he attempted to murder gangland criminal Wayne Whelan in a shooting in west Dublin nearly two years ago.

His three co-accused also pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Whelan, who was later killed in a separate shooting incident.

Wayne Ryan, Darren Henderson and two other men were arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Monday.

Ryan (41), of Lanna Aoibhann, St Michael’s Road, Longford, pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of Whelan (42) at Griffeen Glen Park, Lucan, Co Dublin on September 4th, 2019.

Darren Henderson (31), of Cleggan Avenue, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, admitted to conspiring with Ryan and the two other men to murder Whelan on dates unknown between May 15th and November 15th, 2019. The two other men, who cannot be named for legal reasons, also pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder Whelan on the same occasion.

The four were originally charged with the attempted murder of Whelan and due to stand trial together on June 21st this year, but the date was vacated following their pleas.

Arson

Henderson and the two other men were also accused of committing arson when a Ford Focus was allegedly set on fire at the Old Bog Road in Kilcock, Co Kildare on the same date.

Whelan, who survived the attack, was shot a number of times in his body, head and arms while he was sitting in his car in an estate in Lucan.

However, he was subsequently shot dead in a vehicle two months later before it was set on fire with his remains inside at Mount Andrew Rise in Lucan on November 18th, 2019. He was identified using DNA analysis.

Whelan, from Rowlagh in Clondalkin, was well known to gardaí for his involvement in serious and organised crime for more than two decades.

Mr Justice White remanded the four men in custody until July 12th for a sentence hearing.