Drug dealers may have given warning to man shot dead in pub

A 23-YEAR-OLD man shot dead in a Dublin pub on Wednesday night is thought to have received a warning around a week ago from drug dealers he may have owed money to.

Paul Warren is the second young man from the same inner city flat complex to have been gunned down in gangland shootings this month.

Kenneth Byrne, aged 30, was shot dead at his flat in Teresa’s Gardens on February 1.

Mr Warren, also from Teresa’s Gardens, was murdered at around 11pm while he drank and watched the European Champions League on television in Grays pub in nearbyNewmarket Square.

A masked gunman singled Mr Warren out and shot him once at the bar and again, after the victim fled, near the toilets. His murder came less than a day after the discovery of the body of a 41-year-old man in the same garda district who died following a violent assault.

Gardaí are investigating whether there are links between Mr Warren’s murder and a shooting that took place at the same pub over a week ago, in which a doorman was shot at.

Gardaí said while there was nothing to indicate any link between the murders of Mr Warren and Mr Byrne the matter would be investigated.

Paul Warren’s parents, Brigid and Christie, were inconsolable yesterday at their home in Teresa’s Gardens and were comforted by family members and relatives. One source close to the family said the parents were too upset to talk, adding: “It’s a terrible tragedy. He’s just 23.”

A number of flower bouquets were placed at the pub from cousins and friends of the family. One local source described the parents are “nice people” who were well thought of locally.

Superintendent Eddie Quirke of Kilmainham Garda Station yesterday said Mr Warren was known to the gardaí for some time.

Locals yesterday said he was involved in the drugs trade, but many thought only at a relatively low level. One source said Mr Warren may have owed money to drug dealers, and that they had warned him just over a week ago to pay up.

Superintendent Quirke said two men wearing balaclavas arrived at Grays pub in a white or silver coloured car.

“One remained at the door keeping watch while his accomplice went in, singled out a person sitting at the bar and discharged a shot in his direction. The victim ran in the direction of the toilet in an attempt to escape and was pursued by the gunman, who shot him and fatally wounded him at the entrance to the toilet door.”

The attacker is described as 5’7”-5’8’’ in height, and wore a light green jacket, jeans and runners.

Superintendent Quirke appealed to some of the 20 people in the pub that night who hadn’t yet contacted gardaí to do so.

Anyone with information is asked to ring Kilmainham station on 01-6669432/34.

Three murders, at least two of them gangland, were carried out in pubs in Dublin’s south inner city last year.

Drug dealer Ray Sallinger was gunned down in Farrell’s pub in January, Declan Griffin was shot dead in the Horse and Jockey pub in Inchicore in April, while Thomas Canavan was shot dead in Cleary’s pub in Inchicore in August.

Gardaí in Kilmainham are also investigating the violent death of 42-year-old Sean Twomey, who was found dead in his flat on Tyrconnell Road in Inchicore on Tuesday night. A post mortem showed the separated father-of-two, originally from Swords, died as a result of head injuries sustained in the course of an assault.

The post mortem indicated Mr Twomey may have been dead for up to two days. He was last seen on Saturday at 6pm in a nearby take-away.