GANGLAND SHOOTING: GARDAÍ ARE studying the complex criminal background of the country's latest gangland murder victim in a bid to establish a motive for his killing.
The dead man, Aiden Byrne (32), was a convicted rapist and was heavily involved in a gangland feud in his local community around Sheriff Street in Dublin’s north inner city.
Gardaí believe Byrne’s murder, the seventh gun killing this year, is most likely linked to that feud.
The first victim of the Sheriff Street feud was Aiden Byrne’s first cousin Gerard Batt-Byrne, who was gunned down in the IFSC just over three years ago.
However, Garda sources said Aiden Byrne had been involved in a number of very violent incidents in recent times and all of these would be checked as a possible motive for his murder.
A fortnight ago he was badly slashed with a knife while briefly remanded in prison on robbery charges. He was left needing dozens of stitches for his face and body wounds.
He had also recently been arrested while carrying a gun outside the home of the leader of a notorious rival drugs gang in Finglas, north Dublin.
Last year he survived an attempt on his life when shot at by gangland rivals in Fairview Park, north Dublin.
In 1998, aged 19, he raped two women who were working as prostitutes in a brothel in Dublin’s city centre. When one of the women refused to have intercourse with Byrne, who was on drugs at the time, he raped two of them.
Last November the unemployed Byrne was charged with handling stolen electrical goods worth over €15,000. He was also involved in the drugs trade and was a suspected armed robber.
Byrne, a father of one from Oriel Street, Dublin 1, was shot at least eight times in the upper body during Saturday’s 8.45pm attack on Drumalee Avenue just off the North Circular Road.
He was driven to the area by an associate in a grey Toyota Corolla. A short time after the driver got out of the car a gunman approached and opened fire on Byrne through the passenger-side window. Byrne, who knew his life was under threat and regularly wore a bullet proof vest, was riddled with the rounds from what gardaí believe was a semi-automatic weapon. He was taken by ambulance to the Mater hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Garda sources said the killing was well planned and that those responsible clearly had information about Byrne’s movements.
A man in his 20s from the north inner city was arrested yesterday and was detained last night at Dublin’s Bridewell Garda station.
Gardaí believe the arrested man knew Byrne and that he was at or near the scene of the murder. They did not think he was the gunman.
The gunman was seen running down a laneway leading to Drumalee Park and from there on to Aughrim Street. He is described as being between 5ft 9in and 6ft in height and of thin build. He was wearing a grey hoody-style top and jeans or a grey tracksuit bottoms.
Supt John Gilligan said the investigating team was looking for anybody who may have been in the vicinity of Drumalee Park, Drumalee Avenue, Prussia Street or Aughrim Street at the time of the killing to contact them.
There was a “good community spirit” in Drumalee Avenue and he was hopeful locals would co-operate with the investigation.
An incident room has been set up at Bridewell Garda station at 01-6668200.