KEN FOY AND GARETH NAUGHTON – 06 FEBRUARY 2014 02:30 PM
ONE of the capital's most dangerous drugs gangs is suspected of being responsible for the gun murder of a 28-year-old man whose inquest heard yesterday that he had been shot in the head.
The remains of James Kenny McDonagh were found in the Dublin Mountains, 14 months after he went missing from his home in Islandbridge.
Senior sources say associates of heroin dealer Greg Lynch and armed robber Paul Rice are believed to have been responsible for the murder.
The same people are suspected of ordering the murder of Ballymun criminal 'Mad Mickey' Devoy in Tallaght last month.
RUTHLESS
A source said: "It is believed that Kenny McDonagh was shot dead after agreeing to meet two members of this gang – they had not planned to murder him, but a dangerous criminal pulled out a handgun and coldly shot him in the head."
A major mobster from Tallaght and his ruthless sidekick are in the frame for the murder. The veteran Tallaght criminal was arrested and questioned about it last July.
McDonagh's remains were found at a clearing in the Dublin Mountains on January 7, 2012.
His mother, Jackie Kenny, told Dublin Coroner's Court that he had never expressed any concerns for his safety.
"He was really jolly. He would hide more. You wouldn't know from him that he was in trouble," she said.
She last saw him on the night of October 25, 2010, and became concerned for his safety when friends and family had not heard from him.
She reported him missing on October 30.
The last known sighting of Mr McDonagh, who was 28 when he went missing, was on the afternoon of October 27 when his neighbour, Emma Griffin, saw him driving on to the Naas Road at Bluebell.
She said they spoke briefly, and he told her that he was going to look at a jeep.
His remains were found by John Browne when he came across a human skull while hill-walking at Seahan Forest, off the Stone Cross Road at Ballinascorney.
He reported the discovery to gardai the next morning.
Det Sgt Mary Fitzpatrick said further remains were found over the following days.
Mr McDonagh's body was identified using dental records and DNA sampling.
The post mortem was carried out by former deputy state pathologist Dr Khalid Jaber, who gave the cause of death as a perforating gunshot wound to the head.
THREATS
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that his impression was that death would have been instantaneous.
Det Insp Sean Campbell said that gardai believe Mr McDonagh died on October 27 because the car he was driving was found on fire at Peamount on the same night.
Gardai were unaware of any threats against Mr McDonagh's life, said Mr Campbell, but the dead man had not been staying at home in the days before his , so there may have been one.
