A young mother of one was killed when a gunman opened fire in an indiscriminate attack on revellers attending a 40th birthday party at a house in Dublin, an inquest heard yesterday.
Donna Cleary (22), of Castlekevin Road, Coolock, died from shock and haemorrhage after she was shot in the chest in the early hours of May 5th, 2006, by a gunman who had earlier been refused entry to the party at Adare Green, Coolock, along with a number of other men, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard.
The group of men, named in court as Bilser, David Geraghty and Jeff, shattered the glass doors of the house with rocks and a flower pot after Rhoda Flanagan, the house owner, told them they could not come in.
The men returned to the house in a silver Volvo about 10 minutes later at about 2.30am, where some 50 people were gathered to celebrate the birthday of Edel Murtagh.
A gunman seated in the back of the car emerged from the vehicle and indiscriminately sprayed the house with bullets.
He discharged five shots from his Luger pistol, two of which entered the house and one of which fatally wounded the mother of one.
"I saw the gunman get out. I could see the barrel of the gun. It was long and black. He was pointing it towards the house. I heard a bang and a shot. Every time he shot he moved his hands. After the third shot I was pushed to the ground," Ms Flanagan told the court yesterday.
Ms Cleary was discovered slumped across the kitchen floor having sustained a bullet wound.
Ms Murtagh told the court, "The car stopped at an angle and I saw a man jump from the rear door of the car. He had his hands together as if he was holding a gun. I heard a bang. I saw him fire a second shot and then I ran into the house.
"Everyone was screaming. I could see her [ Donna's] face. It was gaunt. I could see the life leaving her. She was bad. Her eyes were fixated," she said.
The father of a friend of Ms Cleary, Brian Lennon, came to Ms Cleary's assistance and put his coat under her head.
"She was conscious and I spoke to her and said, 'Stay awake, stay awake' - and with that she slumped in my arms. I said 'Call an ambulance'. Donna was a great girl. She never took drink or drugs. We all loved her."
Garda Michael Leonard of Coolock Garda station arrived on the scene shortly after 2.30am and discovered the young woman lying on the ground.
"She spoke to me and she was very distraught. She was calling for her baby and she said she wanted to see her baby. I cleared the room as quickly as I could."
Ms Cleary was taken to Beaumont Hospital A&E by the Killbarrack fire service ambulance.
She died almost an hour and a half later, at 4.26am, following a cardiac arrest, despite the urgent efforts of the emergency team to save her.
A postmortem confirmed she died from a gunshot wound to the right side of the chest, which caused shock and heavy internal haemorrhage.The bullet entered her lung, the postmortem revealed.
A jury of four women and two men returned a unanimous verdict of death by unlawful killing under the direction of the coroner, Dr Brian Farrell.
Dr Farrell told the jury, "In order to do justice to this appalling crime inflicted on Donna Cleary, I want to be able to put a homicide verdict to you and I am offering you a verdict of unlawful killing."
No criminal charges have been brought in relation to Ms Cleary's death. The primary suspect in the fatal shooting, Dwayne Foster, died in Garda custody two days after the event.
Insp Walter O'Sullivan told the court that reports were sent to the DPP in relation to three other suspects, but the DPP subsequently directed that no other criminal charges be brought.