Gardaí believe the man killed in a gangland attack in Tallaght yesterday was shot in the head as he slept by a man who gained access to the victim's house through the back door.
The body of father of two Sean McMahon (35) was found in bed at his home on Donaghmore Ave, Tallaght, Dublin, by his partner at about 12.20pm. The killing was the 18th gun murder this year. Gardaí believe two men seen close to the house at about 10am were involved in the killing.
Supt Declan Coburn of Tallaght Garda station said one was dressed in a boiler suit, hooded top and a black scarf. He was 5ft 7in with "rounded shoulders" and brown or blond hair. The other man was similarly dressed but was taller and thinner. He was seen sitting on a wall near the house.
Detectives believe a beige Volvo with a 2003 Kildare registration, which was found burned out in Belfry Green, Tallaght, at 10am was used by the killers. It was stolen from Capel St, Dublin, on October 22nd.
Supt Coburn appealed for anybody who was at the murder scene between 9am and noon yesterday to come forward. He has also asked anybody who was in Capel St on the day the car was stolen or was in the Belfry Green area about 10am yesterday to contact Tallaght Garda station.
"Whether this man was know to gardaí is immaterial. This man was murdered and has left two children without a father for this Christmas," he said. "What we're interested in is finding the killers who look from the outset to have killed this man in cold blood."
McMahon, who was originally from Finglas, Dublin, was known to gardaí as an armed robber. He was a close associate of Brian Downes, the 40-year-old car dealer killed with Edward Ward, in a shooting in Walkinstown, Dublin, last month.
Gardaí are investigating whether yesterday's shooting was linked to those killings. McMahon was close to Downes, having worked with him in stealing cars to order, many of which were used by criminal gangs in robberies and shootings.
Detectives are exploring if McMahon was shot by the same men who killed Downes because they feared McMahon wanted to exact revenge on them for killing his friend. The Irish Times has learned McMahon clashed with a leading Dublin criminal last month. Gardaí believe this incident may be linked to yesterday's killing.
While McMahon was regarded as a volatile figure who was also involved in drugs and armed robbery, he was not a leading criminal. He left home at 16, became addicted to heroin at 18 and spent periods in jail or sleeping rough. In May 1993, aged 21, he was sentenced to 7½ years for four armed robberies in 1992.
In 1995, just two days after being temporarily released, he robbed the AIB branch in Rush, Co Dublin. Four weeks later he was arrested after robbing the EBS in Northside shopping centre, Coolock. Gardaí in Tallaght can be contacted on 01-6666056.
l Gardaí are questioning a 36-year-old man arrested at a house in Dublin 4 after the seizure of a number of offensive weapons including 10 stun guns, knuckledusters and knives believed to have been imported via the postal service from Thailand. Meanwhile, gardaí are searching for a gunman who escaped on a bicycle after opening fire on a flat in Railway St, Dublin 1, at about 10pm on Tuesday. Two adults escaped injury.