MR Laurence Shelley, shot in the upper abdomen and arm near his home in Dublin early yesterday, has been described as "stable" at the Mater Hospital after undergoing surgery. His injuries, in what may have been a murder attempt, are described as "serious" but not life threatening, writes Patsy McGarry.
At 1.40 am. Mr Shelley (37), accompanied by his girlfriend, was returning to his flat in Gardiner Place when they were confronted by a man wearing a balaclava and holding a shotgun. He fired twice at Mr Shelley, before escaping through the rear of the flats complex.
Mr Shelley, an employee of Dublin Corporation for eight years, was a customer in the Blue Lion pub in Parnell Street on April 1st, when Mr John Reddin was shot dead by a gunman.
He was due to appear in court on May 11th for sentence, arising from an incident in a pub in Dorset Street on February 2nd, 1994. He had been involved in a fracas which resulted in a friend, Mr Patrick Pettigrew, losing the sight in his right eye and receiving 36 stitches.
Mr Shelley himself received nine stitches subsequently, but admitted in court to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Both men had been good friends and a detective garda spoke of his puzzlement at the row, in evidence to court. Mr Pettigrew, who is an epileptic, had a fit during the fracas.
Mr Justice Frank Spain, president of the Circuit Court, said he believed both men fell over a table and a broken glass had struck Mr Pettigrew in the eye. He also considered Mr Shelley was not in a position to pay the amount of compensation due to Mr Pettigrew for his injuries. The court was told Mr Shelley had not come to the attention of gardai for 15 years. Sentence was adjourned for a year.