A MAN murdered in a local authority flats complex in Dublin was chased by a four-man gang into a quiet cul-de-sac courtyard and stabbed to death. Gardaí are trying to establish if the killing in Inchicore is linked to gangland crime.
The victim has been named locally as 19-year-old David Byrne, who had an address on Davitt Road, Drimnagh, Dublin 12.
Mr Byrne was found lying injured at 10.30pm on Saturday in the car park of the Emmet Court flats complex, not far from his home near the Grand Canal on the south side of the city.
A member of the public, believed to be a local resident, rang the emergency services and when gardaí arrived they found Mr Byrne had sustained a number of stab wounds to his back and side.
He was still alive when gardaí and paramedics arrived. He was taken by ambulance to St James’s Hospital but efforts to save him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at 11.45pm.
Gardaí believe Mr Byrne came out of his home at the Davitt House complex on Davitt Road and was chased by a gang of at least four men across a bridge over the Grand Canal and into the nearby Emmet Court flats.
At least one of the men caught up with Mr Byrne in the cul-de-sac car park and courtyard in Emmet Court and stabbed him several times as his three accomplices kept lookout. The gang then fled on foot.
A postmortem on Mr Byrne’s remains was not due to take place until this morning.
The Irish Timesunderstands the chase and fatal stabbing were captured on closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the canal area. However, the gang members had covered their faces with hoods and were not recognisable from the CCTV footage.
Garda sources said the attack did not appear to be a random or spontaneous incident. Sources said the four men were waiting for Mr Byrne, and added that the pursuit of the victim and the manner of the stabbing seemed to be “planned and organised”.
Gardaí have appealed for anybody who witnessed the stabbing or saw the four men chasing Mr Byrne between Davitt House and Emmet Court to contact them in confidence.
Mr Byrne was known to gardaí for involvement in petty crime such as assault and burglary. It is believed he was also involved in the drugs trade but he was not regarded as a serious gangland criminal.
The area in which he was stabbed is next to the suburbs of Crumlin and Drimnagh, where a feud between rival drugs gangs has been under way for a decade.
The dispute has claimed the lives of at least 14 people and gardaí are now trying to establish whether Mr Byrne’s murder was linked to the feud.
Garda sources said while it would be unusual for a gangland killing to be by means of stabbing, rather than shooting, it is believed Mr Byrne associated with criminals involved in the feud.
“It’s one avenue that we’re not ruling out at the moment,” said a Garda source in relation to the possible feud connection.
The first person killed in the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud was stabbed to death and there have been a number of other non-fatal knife attacks, one as recently as last week, linked to the feud.
The scene of Mr Byrne’s murder was sealed off as soon as he was taken by ambulance from the area. It underwent forensic examination by the Garda Technical Bureau yesterday.
Anyone with information on the murder, or who may have seen Mr Byrne or his attackers around the time of the killing, is asked to contact Kilmainham Garda station on 01-6667300.