A DUBLIN man was dragged from his home, beaten and abandoned in the Dublin mountains just hours before he was murdered, Kilmainham District Court heard yesterday.
Four men pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Eric Short all on November 15th last, the day of his murder.
Garda Anthony McHugh told the court that at noon on November 15th, Shortall had used a syringe to rob a Crumlin cycle shop of £100. The owner found out who did the robbery and, with his brother and two friends went to Shortall's home on Muskerry Road, Ballyfermot.
They took him out of the house and drove him up the Dublin mountains, where he was interrogated, beaten and then released.
Shortall was murdered at around 9 p.m. that evening, but Garda McHugh said he was satisfied none of the accused were involved.
Before the court was Mel Sutcliffe (23), of St James Road Walkinstown, his brother, Liam Sutcliffe (25), of Stanaway Road, Crumlin, Eugene Meegan (24), of Broomfield Crescent, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and Alan Flood (27), of Ashfield Park, Kingswood, Tallaght.
Judge Hussey gave each of the men a 12 month suspended sentence and bound them to the peace for two years on condition they paid £3,250 to various charities dealing with drugs in Dublin.
"This whole thing started through drugs," she said.