A PRIEST celebrating the funeral Mass of Ireland’s latest gun murder victim, Wayne Doherty, told mourners that crime gangs should face legislation that held them accountable for their actions.
Fr Joe Coyne told up to 800 mourners at St Ciarán’s Church, Hartstown, west Dublin, that it was “scandalous and utterly unacceptable” that criminals believed they could carry guns and decide whom should live and die. “It’s beyond any convention of right and wrong that somebody would be shot brutally outside his parents’ house, utterly wrong,” he said of Mr Doherty’s murder last Saturday night. “Our society can never give in to that kind of violence and that kind of deprivation of life.”
Referring to the controversial Criminal Justice Amendment Bill, which seeks to tackle gangland crime, Fr Coyne said the reason it was before the Oireachtas was because of “issues in our society”.
“People who are known to be involved in criminal activities and particularly organised violence; why shouldn’t they be accountable? Why shouldn’t they have to give an answer and to be responsible for their actions?”
The mourners were led yesterday by Mr Doherty’s wife Karen, the couple’s two children Christopher (10) and Johanne (5), and Mr Doherty’s parents, John and Angela. Fr Joyce told the children their father had only ever wanted his best for them.
He said the fact the church was full, with about 300 others listening to the service outside, was a tribute to Mr Doherty’s sense of decency. Among the mourners was the boxer Bernard Dunne and Joe Higgins MEP.
Mr Doherty was buried at Mulhuddart Cemetery. His coffin was draped in the Tricolour and white boxing gloves were placed on top.
The coffin was escorted from the church by a guard of honour.