GARDAÍ HAVE appealed for calm in a Limerick housing estate following a spate of arson attacks linked to a murder inquiry.
Three families have been forced to leave their homes in the Moyross area since the murder this week of Darren Bennett (18). He was stabbed outside a house in Craeval Park in the early hours of last Wednesday.
The chief suspect for the murder and his associates are responsible for a number of shootings in the Moyross area in recent years.
Since the killing tensions have been running high in the northside estate where armed members of the Garda Regional Support Unit are maintaining a full-time presence. The armed unit was on patrol in Craeval Park yesterday where access was only allowed to residents.
This followed a number of overnight arson attacks which took place between 9pm on Thursday and 4am yesterday.
There were three separate fires at vacant houses on the Shanabooley Road in Ballynanty and a fourth fire at a house in Craeval Park, near the scene of Wednesday’s murder.
Limerick City Council boarded up one house in Craeval Park yesterday at the request of gardaí.
It is understood one of the houses targeted by arsonists belonged to one of the families forced to flee the area earlier that day following intimidation by a mob of youths.
Members of the same mob were involved in a stand-off with gardaí the previous day when attempts were made to gain access to the crime scene.
Gardaí had to restrain a group of up to 15 people who tried to force their way into the area that was sealed off.
“It’s important that a sense of rationality prevails within the community, and we would appeal for calm at this time and the family wants an opportunity to grieve,” said Supt Frank O’Brien, who is leading the murder investigation.
“The family don’t want any retribution for his death, and want to bury him in peace.”
Mr Bennett, who was known to gardaí, will be buried today following 11am Mass at Corpus Christi Church in Moyross.
The investigation into his murder continued yesterday, and gardaí confirmed that a number of items of “forensic value” have been recovered during searches.