‘I am terrified’: Elderly Dublin residents appeal for security gates after three murders in block

Elderly residents of a senior citizens housing complex in Dublin 8 are imploring Dublin City Council to install security gates, promised two years ago following a third murder in their block.

Tenants of Robinson’s Court, which opens on to Cork Street, said they have since endured threats, intimidation, and demands for money, as well as drug dealing in their small block for several years.

Two years ago, 76-year-old Kwok Ping Cheng, known to his neighbours as George, was murdered in his flat at the complex with an axe. Oliver Doran (24), with an address at Sophia Housing, Cork Street last January pleaded guilty to his murder.

In 2016, 61-year-old Anthony Rogers, a wheelchair-user, was found by neighbours with fatal stab wounds to his head and neck. In 2021 Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropping charges in relation to his killing after the trial judge ruled that gardaí would not be allowed to identify the accused on CCTV.

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'There's been three murders, she could have been the fourth'- DCC tenants call for adequate security

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Ten years previously, in 2006, Vincent Plunkett (80) was found by home-help services with his throat slit in his flat in Robinson’s Court. Gerard Brady (22) was later charged with his murder but died in custody before he could stand trial.

Despite these incidents, residents said the council has failed to provide adequate security for the complex, which can be accessed freely from Cork Street.

“Two years ago, the day George’s body was found, the council said they had allocated money and would be putting gates up but nothing has happened,” resident Terry O’Neill said. “There’s guys coming in here at all hours of the night on motorbikes leaving the bikes running. There’s a lot of shenanigans going on.”

Just over a week ago a man walked into Sarah Cullen’s flat and demanded money. “I had my door open getting a bit of air and I see this bloke he said do you have any money and I said no I’ve no money for you get away from my door and stay away from it,” she said. “There’s no security around here, the council do nothing and I am terrified.”

Mary Byrne, who operated Meals on Wheels for the complex for more than 20 years, said residents have for several years told her they feel unsafe. “It’s never been safe because there’s drug addicts that go in there at night. [Residents] tell me they push the doors in at night-time especially.”

Sinn Féin councillor Máire Devine said the council could not leave the residents living in fear. “In the last 10 days there’s been guys in intimidating, breaking into homes, and threatening the elderly, some of them very vulnerable and very frail, demanding money and telling them they were going to come back to kill them,” she said. “The council needs to put in a barrier between public access and the residents’ private complex.”

A spokesman for the council said it was made aware of a planned protest by residents this week. “When informed we carried out a letter drop, advising all residents that we were reviewing all security arrangements in the complex and would meet with the residents in the next three weeks to update them.”

Previously an engineer was engaged by the council to assess the installation of electric gates “but unfortunately property ownership and fire safety issues were a constraint to coming up with a viable solution,” he said. “Dublin City Council is committed to ensuring, as much as possible, the safety of its tenants. In this context we are happy to engage with tenants to develop solutions with the support of An Garda Síochána.”

Local shopkeeper Noel Flemming said there was “no excuse” for not installing gates. “Anyone can walk in at any hour of the day and night. There’s no excuse for not putting a gate up. How much is Sarah’s life worth, and the three people who were murdered, what were their lives worth? The cost of a set of gates?”