AN assassination attempt by a contract killer was foiled in a joint operation between English and Irish police, the Old Bailey heard yesterday.
The court was told that gangs from Northern Ireland and the Republic had been recruited during a long-running feud between families in the UK.
But after a tip from detectives in Dublin, an operation was put into place by officers in London to trap Mr Michael Boyle, allegedly hired to target members of the Brindle family.
Mr Nigel Sweeney, prosecuting, said that as Mr Boyle moved in to ambush Mr Anthony Brindle outside his Rotherhithe home in south London, two armed police officers disguised as gas men were waiting in a van.
Mr Sweeney told the court that Mr Brindle was described by police as "a member of a south London family well known to the police".
The family was not informed of the alleged plot, however, since Commander Roy Clark, Regional Co-ordinator of the South East Regional Crime Squad, said he believed it "would probably result in an escalation of violence. They would probably go into hiding and the plot would be revived at some later date, when the police would not be able to do anything to prevent the attack."
In the assassination attempt Mr Boyle fired three bullets into his intended victim and was "intent on finishing him off" when the two armed officers opened fire, Mr Sweeney said.
"Fearing for Mr Brindle's life - and their own - they fired 14 shots at Boyle with their rifles," he told the jury. Five shots hit their target. Both men were taken to separate hospitals and survived.
Mr Boyle (48), from Dublin, has denied attempting to murder Mr Brindle on September 20th last year. He has also denied possession of two high-powered handguns with intent to endanger life.
The prosecution said that in February 1995 Mr Boyle had been arrested in Dublin on an unconnected matter and had become a Garda informer under the name of Pius O'Callaghan. He was living in Inchicore at the time.
"He gave information to the police about a well-known Dublin criminal, George Mitchell, and his associates. He said one of Mitchell's good friends was Peter Daly, who used to finance Mitchell's operations.
"Boyle said Daly was having problems and there was trouble between him and a family called the Brindles. But he would not expand on what the problem was," Mr Sweeney said.
In May, Mr Boyle contacted the Garda and told them Mr Mitchell had called a meeting to discuss the problems Mr Daly was having in London with the Brindle family, he alleged.
"He said Peter Daly had asked him to go over and sort out the problems with the Brindles. It was proposed to send over people to London to do the job. Boyle said the Brindles had a gang from Northern Ireland on their side in the feud.
"Boyle told them that George Mitchell had asked him and two others to target members of the Brindle family," Mr Sweeney told the court.
Mr Boyle said surveillance had been undertaken and it had been decided Mr Tony Brindle was too secure, prosecution said.
Mr Brindle's brother, Patrick, had been selected for a hit and another Brindle brother, George, was also a possible target.
The Garda told Mr Boyle to distance himself, to make an excuse not to go, and they would report it to the English authorities.
"Boyle seemed surprised, taking the view it was not their patch," Mr Sweeney said.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Boyle was armed by Mr David Roads, who acted as "quartermaster" in the operation.