Man killed in Dublin wanted on firearms offences

The man whose body was found in north Co Dublin had been wanted by the Garda on firearms offences, it has emerged.

The body of Andrew Dillon (29), Berryfield Road, Finglas, was found by a passer-by on Green Lane, the Ward, near Ashbourne at about 4 pm on Thursday. He had been shot in the head and his body dumped there, according to gardaí.

It is the third gangland killing in 10 days.

It is understood the body was partially decomposed and Dillon's identity had to be established through his fingerprints.

He was well known in criminal circles and is said to have had connection with John Gilligan's associates, as well as with the notorious Westies criminal gang in west Dublin and the Keane family in Limerick.

The Labour Party has said the murder - the fifth overall in 10 days - made a "nonsense of claims by the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell that serious crime was under control".

Last Saturday night Eric Cummins (31) was shot dead as he returned home with his partner and 18-month old son after a day out. They were approaching their home in Ballincollig, Co Cork, at about 10 pm when Mr Cummins was shot in the head and chest.

He had been known to gardaí as a small-time drug-dealer. One line of inquiry was that his murder may have been in retaliation for an assault on a member of a crime gang.

Ten days ago Vincent O'Brien (53) was shot dead at his home in Bray, Co Wicklow. The father of one was known to the Garda as a small-time drug-dealer.

Among the possible motives being investigated is that the murder was a revenge killing for a recent assault on a more senior criminal figure in the area.

Labour Party justice spokesman Joe Costello said: "These killings emphasise the need for additional measures, particularly the presence of more gardaí on the streets, to combat the crime wave."

He said the killings showed the ease with which gangs had access to firearms and that they thought little of using them.

"Last November Michael McDowell boasted that he had put the gangs out of business. However, we are still only in the eighth month of this year, yet the number of gangland-type killings so far is approaching double the number recorded in all of last year.

"Indeed," he continued, "gangland killings have so much become the norm, that the finding of the body near Finglas merited little media attention."