Gardaí say a woman drove getaway car for gang who murdered detective

INVESTIGATION: Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has said his force needs time and space to advance the painstaking investigation that will be needed to bring to justice those who murdered Det Garda Adrian Donohoe.

Gardaí have established that the driver of the gang’s getaway car was a woman.

Mr Callinan said he was always optimistic of bringing criminal charges against those involved in the killing, which happened outside Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth, at 9.30pm last Friday.

“That’s the object of the exercise; to bring these people before the courts. But no one including myself is underestimating just how difficult that process will be. But we have very, very good people working on the case, very, very committed and dedicated people.”

Guerin case

While an assistant commissioner had been put in charge of the Veronica Guerin murder investigation, taken off all other duties and given a dedicated team of detectives, Mr Callinan said no one person had a “franchise” on gathering evidence that would result in criminal charges in the current inquiry.

The team assembled was a large one, of more than 100 gardaí, and would remain in place for as long as it took.

Both he and Minister for Justice Alan Shatter reiterated their call for people with information on the murder to contact gardaí.

The gang were not operating in a vacuum and those close to them would have information or suspicions that needed to be shared with gardaí.

Gardaí have identified a loose “collective” of armed robbers living in the north Louth and south Armagh areas as suspects for the killing. However, a number of criminals from north Dublin but living in the area have not been ruled out.