AN Irishman allegedly captured on video shooting a south London man with underworld connections claimed he was an IRA intelligence officer and offered to sell information to the Garda, a London court heard yesterday.
Garda Del Insp Tim Mulvey told the Old Bailey yesterday that Mr Michael Boyle made the claim after being arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm, for which he was later released without charge. Mr Boyle (48), of Tyrconnell Road, Dublin, denies attempted murder and two firearms offences.
Mr Boyle told Insp Mulvey of a scheme by a "well known Dublin criminal", George Mitchell, to supply weapons to be used to kill members of the Brindle family from south London, it is alleged.
The defendant also said he was hired by a London man, Peter Daly, who was engaged in a murderous feud with the "Brindle boys", to carry out the assassination attempt, the prosecution alleges.
The inspector told Mr Boyle to distance himself from the plot to kill the Brindles, but six months after Mr Boyle's first meeting with the inspector he allegedly gunned down Tony Brindle as he left his home in Rotherhithe, south east London, on September 20th, 1995.
After several meetings, Insp Mulvey became suspicious of the "quality" of Mr Boyle's information and told him to "distance himself" from the assassination plot, he said. The inspector told the court: "I regarded him as a rogue informant, a person not to be trusted".
The accused then asked to be paid £20,000 sterling for further information, saying he was "an IRA intelligence officer", but Insp Mulvey refused and their meetings ceased.
Gardai also passed the information regarding the planned hit on the Brindle family to the SouthEast Regional Crime Squad, and it was their intervention which led to Mr Boyle being captured on video shooting Tony Brindle, the court heard.
Mr David Roads (52), Mr Boyle's co defendant, who the prosecution alleges acted as "quartermaster and armourer" for Mr Boyle, was arrested on the day of the shooting. Police surveillance of Mr Boyle had led them to Mr Roads, and numerous weapons and explosive substances were found at his lock up garage in Lower Addison Road, Croydon.
He told police his son had run into trouble with drug dealers, to whom he owned money, and Mr Roads had been approached by some men who offered to provide protection for his son, the court was told.
In return they asked to use the lock up and also introduced him to Mr Boyle, saying he was a solicitor from Ireland who needed "looking after", the court heard.
Mr Roads, of Chaffinch Close, Shirley, Croydon, Surrey, denies attempted murder, eight firearms offences, possessing an explosive substance, handling stolen goods and having a false instrument.
The trial continues.