Gardaí appeal for assault witnesses

SENIOR gardaí say they will review their investigation into a vicious gang assault on a young father if witnesses broke their silence and came forward.

Five members of a seven-strong gang that left Edward Fanning for dead outside his home in Mulhuddart, west Dublin, in October 2003, have not being prosecuted because people who saw the assault had not given information to investigating officers.

A second member of the gang was given seven years imprisonment on Thursday. Sentencing Christopher Gleeson, Judge Michael White said there were witnesses who knew the remaining five attackers, but who hadn’t assisted gardaí.

Mr Fanning, 28, was celebrating his son’s birthday at their home, when he confronted a gang trying to steal his car. The gang turned on him.

Detective Superintendent Hubert Collins said: “If there are any people out there who we have not yet spoken to, we would appeal to them to come forward. And if there are people we have already spoken to, but who haven’t imparted all the evidence they have, we’d ask them to come forward at this stage.”

He said gardaí believed they arrested all the people involved in the attack.

Files were sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to six of them. A decision not to prosecute due to insufficient evidence came back in relation to four cases.

Det Supt Collins said: “We’ll have a review of the investigation if any more witnesses come forward, if new evidence comes forward. We would be hopeful, because people may know the people involved.”

Blanchardstown Garda Station can be reached at [phone] or people can ring the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.