A MAN who was facing criminal charges has been shot dead in a gangland-style shooting in north Dublin.
Michael Murray (41), who was named in court last year as the killer of a father-of-two, was shot through the head while out walking in Kippure Park, Finglas, on Tuesday night. He was facing charges relating to the possession of a handgun, found in the saddle of his motorcycle.
Murray, a father-of-three, was named in the Central Criminal Court last December as the killer of Ian Tobin. Mr Tobin was shot dead through the letter box of his home in Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, in May 2007.
The prosecution claimed the intended target of the shooting was Mr Tobin’s brother Blake, who had been involved in a row with Murray.
In December, Bryan Ryan (24), who drove the getaway motorbike involved in Mr Tobin’s killing, was convicted of murder.
There had been two attempts on Murray’s life in the last three months and he had been warned by gardaí about his safety.
In November he was shot and seriously injured in an ongoing drugs feud in Finglas and was also shot at last Sunday.
Murray was walking home on Tuesday when he was targeted again by gunmen. He died at James Connolly memorial hospital at about 3am.
Garda spokesman Supt John Gilligan said detectives were looking for an old-style black Fiat Punto car, which was seen in the area at the time of the shooting. It was the seventh gangland murder this year.
Separately, detectives arrested six people in connection with the gangland killings of convicted armed robber Paul ‘‘Farmer’’ Martin and Graham McNally, who was gunned down in January.
In a separate incident, a man who was shot in Finglas on Monday was still being treated yesterday at Connolly hospital, where his condition was described as stable.
The incident occurred in Berryfield Drive, some 200- 300 yards from Kippure Park. The victim, who is in his 20s, was shot in the arm by a gunman shortly before 7.30pm. Gardaí yesterday said a detailed description of the gunman was not available. A Garda spokesman last night said he could not say if the two shooting incidents in Finglas were related.
Finglas parish priest Fr Séamus Aherne said he had said a funeral Mass for about 20 victims of gangland murders in the last 12 years and had grown “so weary” of the bloodletting involved.
Fr Aherne, parish priest at Rivermount, Finglas South, said that though Murray had been involved in violence himself, his family would now suffer needlessly because of his murder.
He said he believed the kind of people who are involved in gangland killings are beyond reasoning, live in a completely different moral universe to the rest of society and were involved in a “hopeless, useless brotherhood”.
“I could appeal to anyone and everyone everywhere to stop. But such words are useless. And yet someone must talk. Why? Because the young ones are watching and listening and find heroes where they shouldnt unless we shout stop.’’
Labour TD for the area Róisín Shortall said more gardaí are needed to target gangs in the area.
“The law-abiding people in the area are shocked and appalled by these attacks, and could be forgiven for feeling that their policing needs are not being met.”
In another incident, a shot was fired at a house on St John’s Drive in Clondalkin, Co Dublin, shortly after 8pm on Tuesday.
It is understood the shot was fired through the downstairs frontroom window of the house. No one was injured.