Powered by Blogger.

rss

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Long history of bloodshed leads to Costa ambush and Gangland murder



Patrick Doyle (27) was shot as he tried to escape in a luxury BMW 4X4 which had come under fire on the outskirts of Estepona, about 10 miles from Marbella.
Injured in the incident was another convicted Dublin criminal, Gary Hutch, while Freddie Thompson, who was recently acquitted of drugs and firearms charges in the Netherlands, escaped unhurt.
The three men were travelling in a BMW 4x4 in the Cancelada district when another BMW 4x4 fired on them.
Four shots were pumped into the front windscreen and another into the front passenger door, before the driver, Gary Hutch, lost control of the vehicle.
The BMW hit a lamp post and Doyle, who was a front-seat passenger, attempted to run away.
The occupants of the 4x4, however, began firing again and the Irishman was struck twice in the head.
The attack took place at the Bel-Air apartment complex, and eyewitnesses said the gunmen made their escape in another BMW 4x4.
Freddie Thompson (27), who was in the back seat of the car yesterday and escaped injury, was arrested in the Netherlands in 2006, when police swooped and found seven kilos of cocaine and six handguns in his rented apartment. The motives appear to be a retaliation shooting which appears to be linked to the gang wars in Ireland.
Martin "Viper" Foley who remains in hospital in a critical condition after being shot in Kimmage Dublin. Has survived 6 previous assassation attempts. Linked with both gangs but mentioned as a sympathiser towards the Gavin/Thompson gang(Sunday World, Ireland on Sunday, Sunday Independent). However, Star Sunday claims he has influence over both gangs yet does not claim allegiance to either side due to fear ofgetting caught in the crossfire. "Fat" Freddie Thompson (24): According to the Sunday World, "Fat" Freddie is the leader of the gang who shot deadNoel Roche in Clontarf on Tuesday, 15 November. Thompson was once part of the same gang as Brian Rattigan (leaderof the rivals in the ongoing feud). Garda sources say he is their prime suspect in at least a dozen shooting incidentsacross the city. Declan Gavin (20): First victim of the feud and one-time leader of the gang. Escaped raid in Holiday Inn drugs seizurethat initiated allegations that he was an informant (Sunday Independent). Stabbed to death in Crumlin, 2001. Darren Geoghegan (26): Suspected murderer of Rattigan gang-member John Roche in March of this year. Shot dead on13 November by IRA hit men supposedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Sunday World) Gavin Byrne( 30): Shot dead with Geoghegan in the same car that was parked in Firhouse. Rattigan Gang: Brian Rattigan (25): Leader of Rattigan gang although currently serving six (ten, according to Sunday World) year prisonsentence for various crimes including drugs and gun charges. Was also charged with the murder of Declan Gavin.Controls his gang via mobile phones and messengers. Narrowly escaped a murder attempt (suspected to have beencarried out by the Thompson/Gavin gang) although had spleen removed and lost a kidney three years ago (SundayWorld). Joseph Rattigan (18) : Brother of Brian. Shot dead in July, 2002 (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World). John Roche (24) : Major drug dealer wanted by gardaí for attempted murder (Ireland on Sunday). Shot dead inKilmainham, the murderer is suspected to have been Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday, Sunday World). Noel Roche (27): Chief enforcer of Rattigan's gang who was shot dead in Clontarf on 15 November as part of revenge forthe double murder of Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne (Ireland on Sunday). Eddie Rice (32): Escaped a murder attempt when in the same car as Noel Roche the night he was killed. Turned himselfin but was released without giving any evidence to gardaí.1998: Feud begins. Declan Gavin, then an 18 year old who was already involved with petty crime and was making hismark on drug-trafficking, had his bike burned and his family car covered in paint by Derek Lodge. Suddenly two seperateVillage - Politics, Media and Current Affairs in Irelandhttp://www.village.iePowered by Joomla!Generated: 7 December, 2007, 02:47
gang factions emerged, one led by Declan Gavin, another led by Joseph Rattigan, who was 16 years old at the time(Sunday Independent). Both gangs began to deal cocaine and their main associate was Martin "Viper" Foley and therewas relatively no animosity between them (Sunday World). 3 March, 2000: The event that led to the complete breakdown between the two factions: the Sunday Independentreported that Gavin and one gang member locked themselves into a room at the Holiday Inn hotel on Pearse street inorder to "cut" cocaine (breaking down cocaine into powder and then mixed with glucose in order to distribute more todealers). Gardaí heard of this deal and completed a successful raid on the premises, finding only a 17 year old in theroom. Gavin soon emerged on the corridor and was promptly arrested. This led to allegations that Gavin was aninformant for the gardaí (he had escaped conviction on a previously successful raid). 25 August, 2001: Declan Gavin is murdered (stabbed) outside a restaurant on Crumlin Road. 17 March, 2002: Brian Rattigan is critically injured when shot a number of times in his home. He loses a kidney and hisspleen as a result of the attack. A woman in the house allegedly saw "Fat" Freddie Thompson commit the attack but laterdenies this to gardaí (Sunday World). 16 July, 2002: 18 year old Joseph Rattigan shot dead by the Gavin/Thompson faction (Sunday World) around the sametime his brother Brian was being released from hospital. May, 2002: An associate of Brian Rattigan, Colm Smith is shot through the cheek and tongue after he answers the doorat 3.30 am. Smith survived the attack but refused to talk to gardaí (Sunday World). 2002: "Fat" Freddie Thompson is jailed and serves a sentence for road traffic offences (after being charged with thoseoffences and giving gardaí a false name, aiding the escape of another man from lawful custody), according to the SundayWorld. 25 January, 2004: Paul Warren shot dead in Grey's Pub by two men of the Rattigan faction. Subsequently, BrianRattigan is jailed for a total of ten years for drugs, firearms and violence offences. He is currently serving a four-yearstretch for being in possession of €40,000 worth of heroin. Last year, he received another six years for aiming aloaded shotgun at a Garda during a chase. He continues to control his gang from inside Portlaoise prison with the aid ofmobile phones and messengers (Sunday World). 9 March, 2005: John Roche, one of Rattigan's men and a major drug dealer, is shot dead outside his apartment inKilmainham, reportedly by Darren Geoghegan (Ireland on Sunday). 13 November, 2005: Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne, leading members of the Thompson/Gavin faction aremurdered by suspected hit-men reportedly hired by Rattigan's gang (Ireland on Sunday). 15 November, 2005: Seen by many as a revenge attack (Sunday World, Sunday Independent), Noel Roche (olderbrother of John Roche), Brian Rattigan's "chief enforcer" (Ireland on Sunday) is shot dead in Clontarf. His fellow gangmember, Eddie Rice, escapes but refuses to tell the Gardaí anything about the killers.
There are two gangs: the Crumlin lot (the Gavin/Thompson gang, who may or may not be under the wing of old-hand Martin "Viper" Foley) versus the Rattigans of Drimnagh. These are the young, thrusting newcomers, making their mark where once self-effacing Martin "The General" Cahill (cleaned up by the IRA, 1994, but pictured, left) ruled the roost. The cause of this feud seems to go back to 1998, when Declan Gavin was serving an apprenticeship in small-time crime and drug-trafficking. He had his bike and the family car vandalized, thus causing a rupture with the Rattigans.

Trouble flared in 2001 with the first murder. Declan Gavin had been head of the Crumlin boys. Gavin and a mate were "cutting" a consignment of cocaine in the Holiday Inn, Pearse Street, when the Gardaí raided. Gavin had been caught in a previous raid; and was now suspect of grassing. He was taken out in a stabbing (August 2001). That one is still going through the courts.
Brian Rattigan (St Patrick's Day, 2002) was badly shot up at his home. A witness (who later recanted) identified "Fat Freddie" Thompson as the gun-man. There was a further gun attack on a Rattigan affiliate, Colm Smith, in May 2002: Smith then refused to talk to the Gardaí. "Fat Freddie" was now in jug (driving offences!, but also for giving a false name and aiding the escape of an arrestee).
To celebrate Brian Rattigan's release from hospital (July 2002), Doyle of the Gavin/Thompson gang shot Joe Rattigan of the Drimnagh mob.
On 25 January 2004, in the toilet of Gray's pub, Paul Warren of the Crumlin team was shot by two of the Rattigans, a further revenge murder. Brian Rattigan went inside at Portlaoise for drugs and firearms (10 years) and heroin possession (4 years). Apparently, through mobile phones and runners, he still controls his gang.
The next to go (March 2005) was John Roche, a Rattigan dealer. He was shot, allegedly by Darren Geoghegan, one of four of the same team that shot Joe Rattigan.
14 April 2005, Terence Dunleavy, a dealer, shot in the head. The motorbike used by the killer belonged to a relative of "Fat Freddie", so this was another Thompson execution.
Then, two for one, Darren Geoghegan and Gavin Byrne were executed, perhaps by their own Crumlin side, but more likely as a reprisal, even on a contract basis.
Doyle struck again, 13 November 2005, shooting John Roche's elder brother, Noël, who has been identified as the Rattigan enforcer.
Late summer, 2006, and two more in quick succession: Wayne Zambra (assumed to be part of the team that killed Paul Warren) buys it: again, this is likely to be an internal job; and Gary Bryan, who was the gunman in the Paul Warren murder, was released from gaol and promptly dealt with in a drive-by killing.
Then Eddie McCabe, last December, who had been in on the Zambra murder, was (for a change) beaten to death. He may have been stabbed through the eye.
Now Doyle himself.

0 comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

van

Pageviews from the past week

van

Drug Enforcement automatically monitors news articles and blog posts tracking breaking news of arrests and drug incidents as they happen worldwide .These inter-active News Reports are followed as they develop. Giving you the chance to comment on breaking stories as they happen. Drug Enforcement alerts you to topics that are frequently linked to and commented upon in the world press. Someone is arrested every 20 seconds for a drug related offense !Readers are solely responsible for the content of the comments they post here. Comments are subject to the Blogspots terms and conditions of use and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Drug Enforcement site. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification.

Popular Posts

Latest Templates

FEEDJIT Live Traffic Map

Friend's Link

Blog Archive

 

Privacy Policy (site specific)

Privacy Policy (site specific)
Privacy Policy :This blog may from time to time collect names and/or details of website visitors. This may include the mailing list, blog comments sections and in various sections of the Connected Internet site.These details will not be passed onto any other third party or other organisation unless we are required to by government or other law enforcement authority.If you contribute content, such as discussion comments, to the site, your contribution may be publicly displayed including personally identifiable information.Subscribers to the mailing list can unsubscribe at any time by writing to info (at) copsandbloggers@googlemail.com. This site links to independently run web sites outside of this domain. We take no responsibility for the privacy practices or content of such web sites.This site uses cookies to save login details and to collect statistical information about the numbers of visitors to the site.We use third-party advertising companies to serve ads when you visit our website. These companies may use information (not including your name, address, email address or telephone number) about your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. If you would like more information about this practice and would like to know your options in relation to·not having this information used by these companies, click hereThis site is suitable for all ages, but not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years old.This policy will be updated from time to time. If we make significant changes to this policy after that time a notice will be posted on the main pages of the website.

Latest News

Add to Technorati Favorites
Site Specific Privacy Policy run in accordance with http://www.google.com/privacy.html
We can be reached via e-mail at
copsandbloggers@googlemail.com
For each visitor to our Web page, our Web server automatically recognizes information of your browser, IP address, City/State/Country.
We collect only the domain name, but not the e-mail address of visitors to our Web page, the e-mail addresses of those who communicate with us via e-mail.
The information we collect is used for internal review and is then discarded, used to improve the content of our Web page, used to customize the content and/or layout of our page for each individual visitor.
With respect to cookies: We use cookies to store visitors preferences, record user-specific information on what pages users access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors' browser type or other information that the visitor sends.
With respect to Ad Servers: To try and bring you offers that are of interest to you, we have relationships with other companies like Google (www.google.com/adsense) that we allow to place ads on our Web pages. As a result of your visit to our site, ad server companies may collect information such as your domain type, your IP address and clickstream information. For further information, consult the privacy policy of:
http://www.google.com/privacy.html
copsandbloggers@googlemail.com
If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us at the above email address.