Murder begets murder as justice is served street-style

IT’S nearly two months since a gunman walked up to the driver’s window of Niall Mulvihill’s taxi and fired five shots from a handgun, killing the 57-year-old underworld fixer.

Despite an investigation involving gardaí and various specialised drug and other crime units, detectives have not yet even been able to establish a definite motive for the murder, never mind a suspect. Mulvihill kicked around so many underworld nooks that, as one investigator close to the case explained: “A motive, there are so many banging around.”

Even if a motive is established, Mulvihill’s murder was a classic underworld hit, clinically executed and forensically clean. Gardaí solve more than 80% of homicides, the fatal street and domestic assaults. Most of the rest are linked to the underworld.

As yet another gangland-related murder inquiry begins into the death of 26-year-old Charles Merriman, investigators already know all too well recent history is littered with a roll call of unsolved hits: Seamus ‘Shavo’ Hogan, to Maurice ‘Bobo’ Ward, to Ray Salinger, shot in the chest and head as he drank a pint in his local last month, to name three of dozens. While gardaí may in some cases have very good intelligence on who has ordered a particular execution, the difficulty lies on making a murder charge stick.

Those who carry out the killings are often hired for the job. In some cases, gardaí believe, they are brought in from England.

“The killer could have his breakfast in London, come over here and be back for dinner,” said one garda source. “It’s a very definite possibility that this has happened.” Post-ceasefire Ireland is also littered with former members of paramilitary organisations well versed in the black art of killing at close range. They can be hired for prices in the low five figures.

“These are executions ... these people are very forensically aware. They are not going to leave any evidence”, said one garda.

However, even gang members who carry out their own executions are trained well enough to avoid leaving evidence. Gangs in South and West Dublin, young and ruthless, have been battling it out in recent years for control of the lucrative cocaine market.

A number of people have been killed. Many of the cases are still open. In some cases, murder begets murder as justice is served street-style.