Drugs war a possible motive for murder

Gardaí say they are looking for a "cold, calculated and highly dangerous criminal" in their hunt for the killer of a young Dublin man who was found dead in Ballymun on Sunday. A drugs turf war has not been ruled out as a motive for the murder.

Detectives believe a passing motorist startled the killer and they are appealing for anyone who was in the vicinity of St Margaret's Road, Ballymun, in the early hours of Sunday morning to come forward.

The dead man, Mr Charles Merriman, died of a gunshot wound to the head which was believed to have been inflicted with a shotgun.

Detectives last night denied reports that Mr Merriman's remains had been discovered by American tourists. They said three young men from outside Dublin saw Mr Merriman's remains slouched at the entrance to a field on St Margaret's Road as they passed just after 12 noon on Sunday. When they approached they realised he was dead and raised the alarm. Gardaí are now satisfied that Mr Merriman was killed where his remains were found.

One avenue being explored by detectives is that Mr Merriman may have been involved in the drugs industry and could be the latest victim of Dublin's drugs turf wars. There have been a number of major drugs seizures in the Republic in recent months and the movement of drugs in the Dublin area has heightened tensions among the criminal fraternity.

However, Garda sources said while Mr Merriman had been known to them in the past he was not a known drug dealer and never had any convictions for drugs. He had a number of convictions for public order offences and assault, the most recent of which was in 1998.

"We are keeping an open mind on this," said one source. "Regardless of who he was, he did not deserve to die in the way he did on a quiet stretch of road late at night. He was a young man with a young child. This was a very clinical killing. We need to find whoever has done this, as they are highly dangerous."

Mr Merriman (27) had been living in Constitution Hill in the inner city with his partner and nine-year-old daughter in recent years.

He had worked as a bouncer at a number of Dublin nightspots but more recently had been the manager of the young Dublin band No Angels.

The group was discovered while busking on Grafton Street about three years ago and have since enjoyed considerable success on the Dublin live music scene.

Mr Merriman spent Saturday night at the Stoney Inn pub in Stoneybatter in the city centre where his band was performing. He left the pub with a person known to him at around 1.30 a.m.

It is believed he went to a second pub not far from where he was found dead on Sunday. Gardaí are now trying to piece together his final movements.

In particular, they are anxious to talk to anyone who may have seen Mr Merriman in a pub in Ballymun in the early hours of Sunday. It is understood gardaí already know the identity of some of those who met Mr Merriman at the second location.