Man found ‘executed’ on waste ground

A YOUNG man was murdered in a gangland style execution in a North Dublin district where increased numbers of armed gardaí have been highly visible in recent weeks.

The victim, named locally as 23-year-old Patrick Sheridan, was discovered by gardaí patrolling a patch of waste ground in Finglas. He had been shot in the head, which had been covered with a hood. It is the 12th gang-linked killing this year.

Mr Sheridan, described by garda sources as a petty criminal and not a major gang figure, had been missing from his home since Monday. The body was found in undergrowth in an area of wasteland known as the Trench, the focus of regular patrols by gardaí on the look-out for arms, stolen property and drugs.

It is understood members of the Garda Divisional search team were looking for the man when they found his body around 1.15pm yesterday.

Gardaí described it is a “cold blooded” killing and appealed for information. One member close to the investigation said he understood how people in the area who have information may be reluctant to come forward, given the nature of the murder, but asked that they contact the confidential line or any garda station. The area was sealed off yesterday as members of the Garda technical bureau carried out their investigation. The body was removed early yesterday evening ahead of a post mortem examination. There has been a marked increase in highly visible armed patrols recently as garda management responded to local concerns over an increase in crime in the area.