KEN FOY, CRIME CORRESPONDENT – 22 JANUARY 2014 02:30 PM
GARDAI investigating the murder of Michael 'Mad Mickey' Devoy have confirmed that the gun used to kill the north Dublin criminal has been found.
Sources have said that the handgun was located in a ditch close to where Devoy's body was discovered, at Bohernabreena, Tallaght.
The Ballymun man had been shot numerous times in the attackand there were a lot of spent rounds at the scene.
The Herald understands that the weapon was recovered on Monday, with gardai describing the find as "a major breakthrough" in the case.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that officers investigating the killing initially wrongly believed that the victim was a man who had survived a previous meat cleaver attack.
MISTAKEN
They realised they were mistaken when they visited the home of that man, Alan Hewitt, from Tallaght – who has no links to organised crime – in the early hours of Sunday and found him asleep in his bed.
"In fairness, you can't blame the officers at the scene for this," a source said.
"It was dark and these fellas look alike, but there is a major height difference.
"But for a number of hours on Sunday, gardai believed that they were dealing with the murder of Alan Hewitt, but obviously that is not the case."
Hewitt denied that gardai had called to his house when approached by the Herald, but he did speak about being the victim of the meat cleaver attack eight days earlier, which was reported in this newspaper at the weekend.
He said: "I basically got chopped up with a machete, but I'm doing a lot better now. I was totally shocked when it happened.
"There's no permanent damage done, but I got seven stitches in my head because the meat cleaver went right down to the skull. I also got four stitches in my finger.
"I was so lucky it didn't go right into my brain, but it did cut right through the bone. My friend now has to get an operation on his hand.
"I was in hospital for a few hours, but I discharged myself that day. My girlfriend was slashed in the chest and she got seven stitches in one area, and 16 in another," he explained.
"It happened after we walked home with my girlfriend. Before I knew it, this guy started swinging a knife at us. I had never seen the guy before."
Separately, the investigation into Devoy's murder continues, with officers convinced he was shot dead because he tried to murder heroin trafficker Greg Lynch last year.
Detectives have also rubbished reports that the Criminal Action Force (CAF) were behind the murder.
"CAF, they don't exist," a source said. "This is squarely linked to Greg Lynch's gang, and gardai believe a Dundalk hitman did this murder."
REVENGE
Gardai are on red alert as they believe that dangerous criminal associates of Devoy will attempt to get revenge.
The chief suspect in the killing is a 40-year-old former IRA man from Dundalk, who officers believe was paid €20,000 to take out Devoy.
He is also suspected of placing a pipe bomb under Devoy's car at his Ballymun home less than a fortnight ago.
The suspected assassin is well known to gardai and is said to be an extremely violent criminal who recently was before the courts for a serious assault.
He also has convictions for public order offences and drink-driving and is allegedly dangerous with alcohol in him.
