Hitman planning murder of brothers in revenge attack.
30 JANUARY 2014
GARDAI have discovered that the gang who murdered Mad Mickey Devoy also plan to murder two north Dublin brothers in a twisted campaign of revenge for a botched hit on a drug dealer.
Devoy (41) whose funeral happened yesterday – under close watch by gardai – was shot dead by a Louth hitman on the orders of the Greg Lynch drugs gang after a failed attempt on the heroin trafficker's life last October, detectives believe.
It has now emerged that the same hitman was enlisted to murder two brothers who were friendly with Devoy and are being blamed for helping him with the botched hit on Lynch.
Both brothers, who are from Ballymun and considered “nobodies” in terms of organised crime, have been officially warned by gardai that there is an imminent threat against their lives.
Neither man showed up for Devoy's funeral Mass in Finglas yesterday and are understood to be in hiding after being officially warned about the threats against them.
A source explained: “They have been served with the papers by gardai – they are in serious bother. They have been identified as being at the scene when Lynch was shot in the face.
“One of them is suspected of being the getaway driver while the other fella is thought to have acted as a scout and a look-out on the night.
“This gang revenge will not stop with the murder of Mickey Devoy.”
The Herald understands that the twisted hitman who gardai are desperately hunting for took up a six figure contract for the murder of three men – Devoy and the Ballymun brothers who are aged in their 20s.
Already three houses have been raided and searched but there has been no sign of the hitman who was previously strongly involved with dissident Republicanism.
The suspected assassin is well known to gardai and is known as an extremely violent criminal who recently was before the courts for a serious assault.
He has previous convictions, including public order, traffic and drink driving and is said to be “extremely violent with drink on him”.
Intelligence received by detectives several weeks ago indicated Devoy was the bungling hitman who shot Greg Lynch in the face outside Hanlon's pub in the early hours of last October 13.
Devoy was shot numerous times in the murder 11 days ago and his body dumped on the side of the road in Tallaght.
Gardai have recovered the handgun but no arrests have happened so far.
Armed detectives and uniformed officers patrolled the streets surrounding St Canice’s Church yesterday for the funeral.
There was also a large visible garda presence at Glasnevin Cemetery where a large group of mourners had gathered after the funeral for Devoy’s cremation.
Devoy is the eighth person to die violently this year when he was shot and his body dumped in the Bohernabreena area between Tallaght and the Dublin mountains on January 18.
A carriage drawn by four black-plummed horses carried his remains to the church for the small funeral.
Fr Eamon Sheridan from Balcurris told the mourners that Michael’s brother Johnny had been buried from the same church last May.
“There is too much grief and too much suffering,” he said.
“Today, this group of people, this community, is gathering around you, Nancy, and your family to say that we are here and we care,” he told Devoy’s mother.
“By being here today all of you share in that love and mercy as you embrace each other in grief and say goodbye to Michael,” he added.
A letter that Devoy had written to his mother was read out at the end of the Mass, in which he had told her how he had loved her, and would always love her, even though he had caused her worry.
Devoy's younger brother Derek, known as Bottler,
was not at the funeral because
he could not secure temporary release from Mountjoy
Prison.
He is not due to be released from jail until February of next year, and is serving sentences for firearms and other offences.
