In the shadow of gunmen: Unsolved shootings in Cork
Witness statements, CCTV footage, forensic tests on two partially burned-out cars, and ballistic tests on four bullets and casings — one casing recovered from the scene, and four bullets from his body — will be crucial to their investigation.
Gardaí yesterday repeated their appeals for help tracing the movements of three vehicles they believe were used by those involved in the shooting of O’Driscoll in Blackpool on Wednesday.
However, securing enough hard evidence to secure convictions in these kinds of killings is notoriously difficult. Despite detailed and exhaustive Garda investigations into six fatal shootings in Cork since 1995, all of which were linked to drugs and suspected dissident republican paramilitarism, the killers in each of the cases have never been charged.
Several suspects were identified. Some were arrested and questioned. All were released without charge. In some cases, files were submitted to the DPP.
However, in each of the cases, there just was not enough hard evidence to secure a murder charge.
The cases remain open; but gardaí admit that unless witnesses come forward with new information, or unless there is a significant breakthrough in each of the cases, it is unlikely that anyone will ever face charges. However, Supt Mick Comyns, who is leading the investigation into Mr O’Driscoll’s murder, said gardaí will be using all of their resources to track down those responsible.
An investigation team based at an incident room at Watercourse Road Garda Station is co-ordinating the harvesting and examination of CCTV footage from businesses in the area. They are also co-ordinating the identification and interview of witnesses. House-to-house enquiries are being conducted, and checkpoints were set up in streets in the Blackpool village area around 5pm on Thursday in a bid to identify potential witnesses who may have travelled the same way on Wednesday, around the time of the shooting.
Supt Comyn confirmed that Mr O’Driscoll was known to gardaí but that they had no information that his life was in danger.
“We have no idea why this shooting took place. Mr O’Driscoll is a son, a father, and we will be using all our resources to solve this murder. We will consider anything that comes from the investigation,” he said.
Gun victims
Widely regarded as the first fatal gangland-related shooting in Cork, Michael Crinnion, 35, was gunned down at the door of the former Clannad pub in Barrack St on the southside of the city. An enforcer for a southside drugs gang, he died in a hail of bullets fired from across the street by a hitman armed with a .38 revolver. Ballistics tests showed the weapon had not been used in a previous shooting in this country. Detectives believed it may have been imported for the hit, and that the killer was brought in from outside the city. There may have been a botched attempt to kill Crinnion two months earlier when shots were fired into a pub on Shandon St, where he was known to drink with associates. Nobody has ever been charged with the murder. Gardaí say their investigation remains open but privately they acknowledge that unless someone comes forward with new evidence, a conviction is unlikely.
Crinnion’s brother-in-law, Kieran O’Flynn, 38, was shot three times by a masked gunman as he opened the door of his home at Thorndale, off Dublin Hill. It is believed the gunman knocked earlier, only to be told by O’Flynn’s young daughter that he wasn’t home. The gunman returned at 11pm and fired twice through a glass panel, before stepping into the hall and shooting O’Flynn in the throat. O’Flynn’s partner and three young children were in the house at the time O’Flynn had been arrested by gardaí and customs officers after a high-speed boat chase in Cork Harbour in December 1992. He was intercepted as he tried to bring about 50kg of cannabis resin ashore at Hop Island. He was convicted for the offence. For a number of years it was suspected he had crossed a rival drug gang, but in 2010, the Real IRA claimed responsibility for his murder, a claim which gardaí took seriously. More that 80 people were arrested as part of the O’Flynn investigation, but to date nobody has been charged with his murder.
Eric Cummins, 31, was shot dead in front of his partner and child outside his home at Oldcourt in Ballincollig. Gardaí believe the hitman had been waiting nearby for Cummins to arrive home. The gunman walked calmly across a green area, retrieved a handgun from bushes, approached the house, and shot Cummins four times at close range while his partner and child looked on in horror. Several children were playing on the green area nearby. The gunman escaped in a dark-coloured Honda car driven by an accomplice. Gardaí later found the vehicle burnt out, making it impossible to find valuable forensic evidence. Cummins had a conviction for a drugs offence in Portlaoise and was known to gardaí. Several suspects were identified, several people were arrested, a file was sent to the DPP, but nobody has been charged yet.
Convicted drug dealer David ‘Boogie’ Brett, 35, who was originally from the Greenmount area of Cork City, was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head outside a national school near Ballydesmond in North Cork after being lured to the secluded spot. Brett had moved to North Cork in the months before his murder. Gardaí know a silver-coloured car transported the killer to and from the murder scene. They also recovered the firearm used in the killing some time later. Three people were questioned but nobody was ever charged. Gardaí say the investigation remains open.
Convicted drug dealer, Gerard ‘Topper’ Staunton, 41, who was originally from Hollyhill, was shot dead in front of his partner and children by a lone masked gunman armed with a shotgun as they were getting into a car outside their rented home at Westlawn, off the Sarsfield Rd in Wilton. The gunman fled in a red 92 C-registered Toyota Liteace van with distinctive bull-bars. It was later found burned out in a field four miles away at Castlewhite, near Waterfall. The Real IRA issued a statement later through the 32 County Sovereignty Movement claiming responsibility for the shooting, and later threatened to kill more dealers. An inquest held in September returned a verdict of unlawful killing. Nobody has ever been charged with the murder.
The killing of Darren Falsey, 36, in Carrigaline bore similarities to the murder of Kieran O’Flynn. Mr Falsey was gunned down in the hallway of his rented house at Ashbourne Court, on Ferney Rd, as he went to answer a call to the door. It’s believed the killing was drugs-related. Gardaí recovered shell casings from the scene, which showed he was shot with a 9mm handgun. Later, gardaí discovered €30,000 in cash at a premises rented by Falsey in the Riverstick area. They later located a handgun in woods near Watergrass-hill. Ballistics tests confirmed it was used to kill Falsey. Several suspects were arrested as part of this investigation, but nobody has been charged yet.
Former Real IRA leader Aidan O’Driscoll, 37, from Ballyvolane, was gunned down as he walked along the Old Commons Rd in Blackpool just before 5pm. He was approached from behind by at least two men, and shot once in the pelvis, before being shot three more times in the chest while lying injured on the ground. The gunman fled in a silver-grey Nissan Almera, which was found burned out at the junction of Seminary Rd and Redemption Rd. A white Vauxhaul Astra estate van was found burned out in Killeens later. Gardaí are also trying to trace a red Opel Astra which left the Killeens area a short time later. A full-scale murder investigation is under way.
