MEET THE gun-toting criminal who was barred from two housing estates for some of the worst antisocial behaviour in the history of the state.

Dan McCarthy (24), from Newcastle West in Co. Limerick, leers as he points what appears to be a handgun at the camera in this exclusive picture.

The vicious criminal was recently described in court as being involved in "extreme acts of violence" in the Castleview Estate in Co. Limerick.Gardai claim McCarthy was heavily involved in a long-running feud with a traveller gang from Rathkeale.

In acourt hearing where Limerick County Council applied for an exclusion order, it was claimed that residents were terrified of McCarthy and were too afraid to testify against the thug.

However, McCarthy's crimes do not just involve fighting with rival criminals. He also has a conviction for harassing a terrified young woman with a series of disturbing text messages.McCarthy - who has more than 40 criminal convictions - is one of a small group of thugs who have been successfully barred from a number of estates for terrorising the local community.

Complaint

Last month, Housing Minister Jan O'Sullivan announced new laws which make it easier to evict tenants involved in antisocial behaviour.
Residents' groups will be able to make a complaint on behalf of an individual- so the identity of the victim can be protected.

In 2011, local authorities battling antisocial behaviour sought 56 eviction warrants and 32 exclusion orders. Out of those, 15 families were actually ejected from their homes and 22 exclusion orders were granted.

A source said the new laws,which will come into force later this year, would have made it easier to get an exclusion order against McCarthy.

"The main problem in Castleview was that people were absolutely terrified of making a complaint against Dan and his brother Thomas. If they complained, they would have been named in court and they would have been left very exposed.

"Dan McCarthy was a one-man crimewave", he was no criminal mastermind, but he had the whole area living in terror."
In October 2011, he was one of five people who walked free from courtiter witnesses refused to give evidence about feud violence. McCarthy and his brother Thomas had been facing numerous charges of causing criminal damage.

The case centred on alleged violent incidents at addresses in the Castleview and Shanoood estates in Newcastle West and Fairgreen.

There were dramatic scenes in court as the five people who had made the original complaints to gardai all withdrew their evidence.

Two months later, Dan and Thomas McCarthy were back in court - along with Dermot and John Ryan, from Sharwood - where Limerick County Council sought exclusion orders. The four men became the first people in Limerick to be barred from housing estates in the county.

In October, Dan unsuccessfully appealed the decision in the District Court.

Seamus Hayes, housing officer with Limerick County Council told the court that the local authority had sought the barring order due to the "concerns and fears" of residents over a long period of time.He said the residents were "too afraid" to make complaints and that the proceedings, which were initiated with the support of gardai, were "in the interests of good estate management".Mr Hayes told Judge Carroll Moran that there has been no trouble in the Castleview Estate since McCarthy was barred.

Damnaged

"Life has been "very peaceful," he said, adding that "the quality of life for residents "has improved immeasurably".
Sgt Frank Downes, Newcastle West, told the court the background to the antisocial behaviour and violence was linked to an ongoing feud between the McCarthy and Ryan families.

Sgt Downes added that personal property, including windows and cars had all been damaged by those involved in the feud.
The sergeant said McCarthy had accrued a number of criminal convictions since the initial application for a barring order was made last December.

A quantity of drugs was seized at his home in February and he was convicted at Cork District Court in April of sending a large number of harassing text message to a woman.

McCarthy received a suspended sentence in relation to the harassment offence and was fined €300 in relation to the drugs charge. Sgt Downes said McCarthy was also convicted of a number of public order offences following incidents in Newcastle West during recent months.

In his evidence, McCarthy denied causing any trouble and said he had "never broken a window in my life".McCarthy's father, Ned, pleaded with the court to remove the barring order on his son.

"I guarantee if he is left back with me today, there will be no more trouble," he said.Dismissing the appeal, Judge Carroll Moran said it was "clear that a feud has been going on"between the McCarthy and Ryan families.
He noted that McCarthy had "been in trouble" within five weeks of the initial application last December and had accrued several convictions during 2012.