THE murderers of a violent criminal have told The Star that he was executed because of his links to a failed gangland hit last year.
Gardai are investigating claims by the so-called United Criminal Alliance (UCA) gangster group that it killed Michael ‘Mickey’ Devoy (42) in Tallaght, Dublin, over the weekend.
Devoy was arrested three weeks ago on foot of several outstanding warrants for minor offences, and put in jail — where gardai believed he would have been safest, as there had been death threats against him.
Devoy challenged his detention in court last Friday and was freed from Portlaoise Prison, but he was killed around 24 hours later.
A source said: “He effectively signed his own death warrant.”
Thugs from the shadowy UCA group, which boasts of being a coalition of criminals, claim they carried out the gangland slaying.
They claimed they shot the career criminal, who was wearing a bullet-proof vest, up to six times in the head and neck with a .38 calibre revolver.
A source told The Star: “Gardai are taking the [UCA] claim seriously and are treating it as credible.”
Body
Gardai found the victim’s body in the Tallaght area, near the Dublin Mountains, at around 10.45pm on Saturday night.
Officers suspect that he may have been attacked by a dog before he was shot dead.
It was the second time that the UCA had targeted Devoy, after he previously survived a pipe bomb attack near his home in Ballymun, north Dublin.
The Star has learned that Devoy may have been lured to his death on Saturday night, meeting up with his killers before being driven to a secluded spot in Tallaght to be shot and his body dumped.
It’s believed Devoy, from Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, was killed over his links to a failed hit on a serious gangland criminal in Dublin last year.
That gangster, who is head of one of the country’s largest drug importation gangs, survived being shot in the face at close range — and vowed revenge.
The UCA statement said: “The narrowness of their escape first time from our explosive device in Belclare area, Ballymun, Dublin.
“There will always be tomorrow and there was. We executed Mickey Devoy. UCA council.”
The victim’s body was found off the Foxhill Road at Bohernabreena, Tallaght. Detectives came upon the scene while on routine patrol.
The officers had initially stopped to investigate a silver hatchback car parked suspiciously on the road, but as they arrived alongside it, two men jumped into the vehicle and sped away.
Garda spokesman Superintendent Dave Taylor said it was a narrow road and that it wasn’t possible for the detectives to follow.
Scene
“They did carry out an extensive search of the area but the car has not been located to date,” Supt Taylor said.
However, he said when they returned to the original scene, the detectives came upon the victim with “obvious wounds to the upper body”.
The area was sealed off pending forensic tests and the body was (above) removed from the scene.
Gardai have called for any witnesses to contact them at Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000.
