A MAN shot dead in a gangland ambush after visiting his partner and young son had recently come back from abroad to see the newborn baby despite knowing his life was at risk.
After being shot dead yesterday, his body was driven over by the killers’ getaway car.
Michael Kelly, a 30-year-old father of three, was gunned down on the new Clongriffin high density estate of apartments, north Dublin, at 1.15pm.
The dead man, originally from Swans Nest in Kilbarrack, north Dublin, was a convicted drug dealer who had been targeted by the Criminal Assets Bureau.
He was suspected of involvement in a number of gun murders in recent years.
Kelly had spent time in the Netherlands and Spain this year because he knew his life was at risk from gangland criminals he was feuding with in Dublin. However, in recent months he had returned to spend time with his partner and the new baby.
Gardaí believe his murder was well planned and that his killers had very accurate information about his movements and most likely had him under surveillance for some time.
Supt Mark Curran from Coolock Garda station said the murder was a “shocking crime” which had occurred in a generally quiet area.
He said while people from the area had already offered “considerable assistance” to the investigating team, gardaí wanted to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time of the shooting.
Kelly had yesterday been driven by a male friend to an apartment at Marrsfield Avenue, Clongriffin, to see his partner and young son, who was born last month.
He had at least two other children, the eldest of whom is 12 years of age.
When he left the apartment at 1.15pm and was walking the short distance across the car park to his friend’s car, another vehicle carrying two men pulled up alongside.
One of the men in the silver Saab opened fire from the car, wounding Kelly in the upper body. Kelly’s friend driving the waiting car saw what was happening and sped off to safety.
The gunman then got out of his vehicle, leaned over his target and shot him again as he lay wounded on the ground.
The killer then got back into the stolen car and was driven away at speed by his accomplice. As they left they drove over Kelly’s body.
Kelly’s partner heard the shots from inside the building and ran down to him as the killers fled.
Gardaí investigating the killing have spoken to Kelly’s partner and the friend he was with who managed to escape.
There were a number of other witnesses.
Garda sources said at least three shots were fired by the gunman when he was still in his vehicle, with at least another three being discharged when the gunman got out of the car and opened fire again.
A car gardaí believe was used by the killers was later found abandoned in Clonshaugh just over a mile from the crime scene. Gardaí believe the car was driven at speed from the scene down the N32 towards the M50 before turning left into Clonshaugh.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy carried out a preliminary examination of the remains at the scene yesterday afternoon before the body was removed for a postmortem examination.
