Garda experts examine seized phones after gangland murder

GARDA experts are examining mobile phones they have seized following the gangland murder of drug dealer John Clarke on Thursday morning.

They are hoping to glean clues from traffic on the phones as to possible suspects behind the fatal shooting, the 12th gangland murder so far this year. John Clarke, also known as BJ, was shot at least 12 times as he sat in his car in the Brookwood Abbey apartment complex in Artane, north Dublin, at around 3am on Thursday.

The 21-year-old lived in a number of addresses, including an apartment at the complex, which he shared with his girlfriend and their six-month-old baby. Clarke was with two associates in his 7-series 2007 BMW in an underground car park at the complex when at least one gunman opened fire with a semi-automatic handgun, riddling the car with around 15 shots.