GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of convicted drug dealer Gerard Stanton in Cork city were last night trying to trace the movements of a van they believe was used by those involved.
Mr Stanton (41) was shot at close range by a gunman armed with what is believed to have been a double-barrelled sawn-off shotgun. He suffered wounds to both his chest and his side under his arm in the attack, which occurred at about 7.50pm on Wednesday.
The shooting happened as Mr Stanton was about to get into his car, along with his partner, Karen O’Flynn (28), who had already put her two children into the back of their Audi. They were preparing to leave their house at Westlawn, off Sarsfield Road, in Cork.
Yesterday, gardaí under Supt Charlie Barry of Togher Garda station, who is heading up the investigation, issued a description of the gunman as about 6ft (1.8m) and wearing dark clothing and a balaclava.
Supt Barry explained gardaí believe the gunman then walked to a red 92 C-registered Toyota Liteace van parked to the side of the terrace of houses where Mr Stanton had lived for the past year or so with his partner and her children. Supt Barry said they believed the gunman may have been waiting in the van and watching before the victim exited. He appealed to anyone who may have seen the van in the Westlawn area to contact gardaí at Togher at 021-4947129.
“The van was also fitted with bullbars so anyone living in that area may have seen it last night or prior to that because this attack was well-planned,” said Supt Barry, who revealed the van was found burned out four miles (6.5km) away in a field at Castlewhite in Waterfall.
Gardaí are seeking to establish if the van travelled to Castlewhite via the South Link road or whether it went up towards Spur Hill and then via a country road to Chetwynd and across the Cork-Bandon road to avoid traffic lights.
The Irish Timesunderstands gardaí have established the van was bought cheaply some weeks back as a "company car" and detectives are trying to trace its ownership to find those responsible for the killing.
Yesterday, Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a postmortem at Cork University Hospital on the remains of Mr Stanton, originally from Kilkieran Close in Hollyhill in Cork and well-known to gardaí.
Mr Stanton had some 63 previous convictions for various offences including drug dealing, serious assault, public order, larceny and road traffic offences. He received his first conviction in July 1985 at the age of 16 and had spent several years in prison. He was due on trial next month on cannabis and cocaine dealing charges.
DEADLY RIVALS: CORK GANGLAND SLAYINGS:
CORK MAY not have the same incidence of gangland killings as Dublin or Limerick but disputes between criminal and drug dealing gangs on Leeside have led to several high-profile murders in the city and county, which have brought home the reality of the drug trade.
On April 8th, 1995, Michael Crinnion (35), a member of a southside drug gang, was shot dead at the door of the Clannad pub in Barrack Street. Gardaí believe the killing was related to a row with another drug gang. No one was ever charged.
Six years later, on June 7th, 2001, Crinnion’s brother-in-law, Kieran O’Flynn (39), was shot dead when he went to answer a knock at the door of his home at Thorndale Estate in Dublin Hill on Cork’s northside. No one was ever caught.
Five years ago, on August 13th, 2005, Eric Cummins (31) was shot in circumstances similar to the shooting of Gerard Stanton . A gunman shot him at least twice as he got out of his car after returning with his partner and child to his home at Oldcourt in Ballincollig. A Honda Civic car, which gardaí believe was used by the gunman and an accomplice, was found burned out over a mile away at Kilnaglory, Ballincollig. Several people were arrested and a file has been sent to the DPP. No one has been charged with the killing.
Then just three years ago, on May 21st, 2007, convicted drug dealer David “Boogie” Brett (35) was found lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to his head beside his car outside Foilagohig national school, in an isolated rural area near Ballydesmond in north Cork.
Originally from Togher in Cork city, Brett had been living in Liscarroll in north Cork and gardaí believe he may have fallen foul of others in the drug trade in Munster. Three people have been questioned about Brett’s killing and a file is being prepared for the DPP.