Two arrested over shooting

Detectives questioned a couple yesterday in connection with the gangland murder of Benny Whitehouse, who was gunned down after he dropped off his children to a school and creche.

The 35-year-old was shot repeatedly at close range in his car on Clonard St in Balbriggan, north Dublin, shortly after 9am on September 24, 2014.

His wife, who was in the passenger seat at the time, was also shot, but survived. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardaí suspect the fatal attack was connected to a feud, involving a relatively small drugs debt owed to a major crime boss.

The arrest yesterday of a couple in north Dublin marks the third arrest in connection with the murder investigation.

The man, aged 34, and the woman, aged 28, were detained under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. They were questioned at Balbriggan and Swords Garda stations.

It follows the arrest of a 39-year-old man in Ardee, Co Louth last February in connection with the murder.

Gardaí said the deceased and his partner, who lived at Ring Commons, left their home at 8.50am on the day of the murder. They drove to St Peter and Paul National School and parked on Clonard St.

They brought their children to the creche and the school and returned to their car. As they were about to buckle themselves in, a gunman appeared at the driver’s window and fired a number of shots in at Mr Whitehouse.

The gunman fled in a Ford Focus, which was subsequently found on fire. It had been fitted with a cloned registration number.

The fatal shooting followed a series of violent clashes outside the school in November 2013, which resulted in armed gardaí patrolling the area.

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