A MAN suspected of carrying out a murder eight years ago has been arrested in Britain following a Garda cold case review of a 2003 gangland killing.
The suspect, a 37-year-old Dubliner, was arrested in Britain on foot of an EU arrest warrant. He is expected to be extradited to the Republic to be charged with the murder of Paul Ryan, a 27-year-old from north Dublin.
Mr Ryan’s remains were found dumped at the gateway to a field in Coolderry, Birr, Co Offaly, on April 12th, 2003.
He had been shot in the head. Gardaí believe Mr Ryan, Grangemore Lawns, Donaghmede, Dublin, owed money to criminals and was shot because he was unable to pay.
The murder has been linked to the Westies crime gang, which was based in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, at the time. Since Mr Ryan’s killing, the gang’s leading members Shane Coates and brothers Bernard and Stephen Sugg have also been shot dead.
The fatal shooting of Mr Ryan was re-examined by the Garda’s serious crime review team in conjunction with the original murder inquiry team at Birr Garda station.
Arising from that review, John O’Hanlon (45), of Millwood, Kilbarrack, Dublin, was charged with withholding information about the killing and was last year jailed for six years.
His sentencing hearing was told Mr Ryan was travelling in a car from Dublin to Offaly with O’Hanlon and another man on April 11th, 2003. At one stage the car pulled up a side road near Birr and Mr Ryan and O’Hanlon got out. As they were standing on the roadside the third man suddenly shot Mr Ryan in the head, fatally wounding him.
O’Hanlon fled to Amsterdam. However, following the reinvestigation of the killing by the Garda cold case review team, he was charged with withholding information and jailed last year. The court accepted O’Hanlon knew nothing of the plan to kill Mr Ryan, and that he fled Ireland through fear.
The chief suspect in the case was arrested by Kent police on Thursday on foot of a European arrest warrant request from the Garda.
He was brought before the City of London Magistrates Court.
He was remanded in custody to appear before the court again next Monday, when a bail application will be heard.
The Director of Public Prosecutions here has already recommended he be charged with murder when extradited to the Republic.