Garda killer Adrian Crevan Mackin, the dissident republican who murdered Garda Tony Golden in Co Louth last week, was cremated in Belfast yesterday.
Mackin (25) shot dead Garda Golden and seriously injured his former partner and mother of his two children Siobhán Phillips (22) last Sunday after they arrived at his home in Omeath following a domestic abuse complaint earlier that day. He then turned the gun on himself.
He was cremated at Roselawn Cemetery on Friday following a short service, according to the Irish News.
His body lay unclaimed in the morgue of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda before being collected by a Newry area funeral director.
It was in stark contrast to the funeral of Garda Golden, who was buried on Thursday after a funeral service in St Oliver Plunkett's Church in Blackrock, Co Louth attended by hundreds of people, including President Michael D Higgins and wife Sabina. About 6,000- 7,000 people - some 4,000 of them gardaí - people lined the streets of Blackrock as the coffin carrying the remains of the father of three were carried from the church.
Mackin had been questioned about terrorist offences on a number of occasions and was charged with IRA membership at the Special Criminal Court last January. He was released on condition he comply with bail conditions which included signing on daily at Dundalk Garda station and residing at the house in Omeath.
He had previously been convicted of having "extreme pornographic images" on his computer. Mackin, who according to his Facebook page went to St Mark's High School in Warrenpoint, Co Down, was found to have these images when PSNI officers were investigating him for dissident activity, the sources said. The images were discovered during a search of his computer.
He first appeared in 2012 at Newry Magistrates’ Court, charged with having 23 images of women engaging in sex with animals. He was freed on bail of £250 with the case referred to the Crown Court.
In December of that year, Mackin, whose address then was Craigaveen Close in Newry, was convicted and received a sentence of four months in prison, suspended for one year.
One local source said he had a reputation for being violent to his partner. They added that while dissidents were active in the general area around north Louth, they “did not hold sway in the Cooley peninsula”.
“This wasn’t about dissident republicanism - this was about violence against women, but with Garda Golden tragically caught up in the case,” they added.
Two children
It is understood the couple were together for a number of years and had two children together, both aged under four.
In January this year, Mackin, with an address at Mullach Álainn, Omeath, was brought before the Special Criminal Court, charged with IRA membership.
He was charged with membership of an unlawful organisation styling itself the Irish Republican Army, otherwise Óglaigh na hÉireann, otherwise the IRA.
He was on bail awaiting trial when last Sunday evening’s shootings occurred.