‘I don’t know why it happened. He hated drugs’

THE widow of the man whose body was found on Monday in the Dublin mountains after being shot in the head said he was an anti-drugs activist and had nothing to do with paramilitary organisations.

Bernadette Byrne acknowledged her husband Stephen had been in trouble before but insisted he was a good man.

Stephen Byrne died after being shot once in the back of the head. The 39-year-old was killed by either a hitman or the Provisional IRA, according to garda sources.

He left the pub where he had been drinking with his wife on Saturday night and told her he would not be gone for long.

"He didn't even finish his drink. I didn't see him talking to anybody," she said.

He did not show up at home the following day but Mrs Byrne did not suspect anything was wrong: "I didn't report it to the gardaí. I thought he might have met a friend and went off for a few drinks and that was it."

When she saw the report on the news that a man's body had been discovered she knew from the description of his clothes that it was her husband.

"I don't know why it happened because he wasn't into anything. He hated drugs, he just hated drugs," she said. "He was not involved with the IRA. He was in no group at all."

The father of two from Inchicore was shot dead close to where his body was found.

His remains were discovered by hillwalkers early on Monday.

The body was face-down in a drain, close to the entrance to Ballinascorney wood in south Co Dublin.

Mr Byrne, a married man, was on bail awaiting sentence on a number of charges, including possession of a firearm.

He pleaded guilty to firing two shots through the window of a house in Dublin.

Garda Patrick Melody, who was based in Kilmanhaim but later transferred to Limerick, was off duty when he heard the shots being fired. Gda Melody gave chase to two men.

He caught Mr Byrne and the other man and recovered a shotgun. Gda Melody was last week awarded the silver Scott Medal for bravery.

Superintendent Michael Byrne from Tallaght Garda Station last night said it was too early to say what type of weapon handgun or shotgun was used to kill Mr Byrne.

If it was a handgun, individuals linked to the Provisional IRA will be the prime suspects.

Garda sources said there are only handful of people who would be able to carry out such a clinical execution and most, if not all, are involved with the IRA.