Addict victim was jailed over €1.2m drugs haul

GARDAÍ were yesterday drawing up a list of heroin addicts and street dealers who knew the latest gangland murder victim.

Michael Hendrick, 36, with an address in Clonee, north Dublin, was fatally shot in Clondalkin, west Dublin, as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car. He is the fifth gangland murder victim so far this year.

A passenger in the car was uninjured when a lone gunman approached the driver’s side and fired a number of shots in through the driver’s window. The shooting took place at 8.40pm on Monday at Melrose Park, in the Bawnogue area, close to where the victim grew up and lived most of his life.

A long-time heroin addict, Hendrick is thought to have been out of prison less than a year after serving a sentence for transporting €1.2 million worth of cannabis in 2003.

He was addicted to heroin at the time and is thought to have transported the haul to pay off a drug debt.

Local sources said he was using and selling heroin after his release and was regularly seen in the area.

“He’s out about nine months or so. He’s an addict and went back selling gear. He was known in the area for selling, but not big time,” said one source.

Detectives are trying to identify local addicts and street dealers who might have known the deceased in a bid to piece together who he associated with and who might have had reason to kill him.

Officers are also investigating links Hendrick had with more serious drug traffickers, including a local drugs boss serving time for a serious offence.

In addition, they will examine any possible links with recent gangland murders in Clondalkin, as well as any recent drug seizures.

Gangland murders that officers will look at include that of Christopher McDonagh, 27, who was shot dead last September.

Officially, gardaí say they are following a number of lines of inquiry.

“We’re keeping an open mind at this stage,” said Superintendent John Quirke who is leading the investigation. “We would have several lines of inquiry that would be available to us. It is still very early in the investigation.”

He said the deceased and the other man were sitting in a silver Ford Focus when a man approached the driver’s door and fired a number of shots. The car was in a cul de sac and Supt Quirke said the victim lost control of the car. It then hit a garden wall of a house.

It is not clear if the gunman followed the car and fired more shots at the victim. The gunman, of medium build and wearing dark clothes, is thought to have fled over St Cuthbert’s Park, which stretches across from Melrose Park. There is a gap in the park wall, which leads to the main Nangor Road.

Supt Quirke said the first two gardaí at the scene tried to resuscitate the victim. He was taken to Tallaght Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Hendrick leaves behind a girlfriend and a child. He is also understood to have a stepdaughter with his partner. Supt Quirke said she was “very traumatised” and not in a position to talk to gardaí. Gardaí are waiting to interview the uninjured man, who is not known to gardaí, and who is also traumatised.

The Garda Dog Unit along with search teams conducted an extensive trawl of St Cuthbert’s Park yesterday. Anyone with information is asked to ring Clondalkin Garda Station on 01-6667600.