A man described as "one of the most violent criminals in Limerick city" was jailed for 10 years yesterday, for threatening to kill a 19-year-old barman who was shot in a pub in Limerick city last year.
Wayne Dundon, Lenihan Avenue, Prospect, received a further three-year concurrent jail sentence for violently assaulting two gardaí while he was being questioned about the shooting at Brannigan's pub in Limerick city last December.
The 27-year-old, who has a list of previous convictions both here and in the UK, is the third in his family now behind bars.
His brother, Dessie, is serving a life sentence for the murder of Limerick crime figure Kieran Keane, and for the attempted murder of Owen Treacy in Limerick in January 29th, 2003. Another brother, John, is serving a four-year sentence for threatening a witness at the Kieran Keane murder trial.
Before imposing the 10-year sentence at Limerick Circuit court yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran said he had to take into account evidence from a senior Limerick detective who described Wayne Dundon as "one of the most violent criminals he had ever come across in Limerick city".
Judge Moran said he had also taken into account evidence that Ryan Lee, the 19-year-old barman who was threatened by Dundon, believed the threat made against him "continued to exist".
Mr Lee was shot half-an-hour after he was threatened by Wayne Dundon outside his uncle's pub in Limerick city on December 19th last.
The court heard that Dundon made the shape of a gun with his hand and, pointing it at Mr Lee's head, said: "F*** you, you're dead".
Dundon made the threat after Mr Lee refused to let his 14-year-old sister Annabel into Brannigan's pub.
Half-an-hour after the threat was made a man wearing a helmet walked into the pub and shot Mr Lee in the knee and hip.
No one has been charged with the shooting, but Judge Carroll Moran said yesterday that it would be "to disregard common sense" to say the shooting had nothing to do with the threat.
He described the video tape shown in court of Wayne Dundon assaulting two gardaí while in custody as "really dreadful".
The court also heard that Mr Lee and his family were still under Garda protection since the incident, and that Ryan Lee was still undergoing medical treatment for his injuries.
The court also heard that a threatening letter was sent to Mr Lee's uncle, Steve Collins, the owner of Brannigan's pub, the night the jury was sworn in for Dundon's trial.
The author of the letter threatened to attack Mr Collins's staff and his business and also warned him "to look at all the other people that's dead".