THE LIMERICK criminal jailed five years ago when the family of last week’s murder victim Roy Collins gave evidence against him will be freed from his prison sentence in less than a year, it has emerged.
Wayne Dundon (31) was jailed for 10 years in 2005 for threatening to kill Ryan Lee, who is Mr Collins’s cousin and stepbrother.
Mr Lee was shot in the leg and hip in December 2004 by a masked gunman in the family run Brannigan’s Pub, Mulgrave Street, Limerick, where Mr Lee, then 19, worked as a barman.
The shooting took place less than 30 minutes after Dundon threatened to kill Mr Lee, who refused to allow Dundon’s 14-year- old sister into the pub. Brannigan’s was later burned down and never reopened.
Nobody ever went on trial for the shooting of Mr Lee but Dundon was convicted for threatening to kill the barman. While Dundon was originally sentenced to 10 years, this was reduced on appeal to seven years after his barrister successfully argued the 10-year sentence was “manifestly excessive”.
Dundon, Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, is entitled to a quarter of his sentence off for good behaviour.
He is also entitled to be credited with the six months he served in prison while on remand waiting to be tried for threatening to kill Mr Lee.
Dundon was refused bail when arrested for the threat to Mr Lee because gardaí gave evidence in court that if he was released on bail they could not guarantee the safety of witnesses.
Dundon is set for release from Wheatfield Prison on April 8th next, which will be one day short of the first anniversary of Mr Collins’s murder.
Mr Collins’s father, Steve Collins, has said he believes his son’s killing last Thursday is linked to the threats his family received during Dundon’s trial in May 2005.
Dundon went on trial after Mr Lee agreed to give evidence against him. Mr Lee told gardaí he was threatened by Dundon because Dundon took exception to Mr Lee refusing entry to Brannigan’s Pub to his sister.
Dundon made a gun sign with his fingers and pushed his hand into Mr Lee’s face saying, “f*** you, you’re dead”.
Mr Lee told the court: “I told him there was no problem but that I needed ID for the younger girl before I let her in. He said, ‘it’s her first f***in’ night out, give her a break’, and I said that I couldn’t let her in without ID.”
Dundon then left the pub but just 24 minutes later a gunman wearing a motorbike helmet returned to the premises and shot Mr Lee, who survived.
Two men and a woman are still being questioned about Mr Collins’s murder.