Gardaí rule out IRA feud as Wilson killing motive

GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of convicted criminal John Wilson (35) in Dublin last week believe he was killed over a localised drugs dispute and not because he was part of a faction feuding with the so-called Real IRA.

Initially it was believed the father of two had been gunned down in his home in Ballyfermot, Dublin, because he had been involved in at least one gun attack on the dissident grouping on behalf of a coalition of crime gangs they were feuding with.

However, almost a week into the investigation detectives are now operating on the theory that Wilson was feuding with local men he owed money to for drugs.

Garda sources said the investigation into the murder is progressing well and they believe they have established a motive and the identities of a group of men they suspect were involved.

Detectives were last night questioning five men, having arrested four of them yesterday. Of those arrested yesterday, one is a juvenile.

The victim was shot at a house on Cloverhill Road, Ballyfermot, west Dublin, at about 3pm last Friday. He had returned home having collected children from school and dropped them off to another address when a gunman walked into the house after him and opened fire.

Last Friday night gardaí arrested a man under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, allowing for his detention without charge for up to seven days. He was still being held last night.

Yesterday morning four further suspects, aged from their late teens to early 30s, were arrested. Two of the four are brothers. The men can be held for up to seven days without charge.

A vehicle was also seized during the search and arrest operation and was taken away for forensic analysis.

Wilson had become embroiled in localised feuding with these men and on at least one occasion was targeted in a pipe-bomb attack.

Gardaí believe Wilson was part of a group that planned a shooting at the Players Lounge pub in Fairview, north Dublin, in July 2010.