Killer may have used back roads in getaway

GARDAÍ searching for the killer of a convicted Cork drugs dealer believe the van used by the gunman avoided main roads during the getaway.

The red Toyota Litace van was found burnt out on the outskirts of the city a few minutes after 41-year-old Gerard ‘Topper’ Staunton was killed with a single shotgun blast to the chest in front of his partner and her two young children.

Gardaí believe the gunman had been lying in wait in a cul-de-sac, a few yards from Mr Staunton’s rented home at Westlawn in Wilton last Wednesday.

The gunman struck at 7.50pm as Mr Staunton was preparing to get into his car with his partner and the children.

Superintendent Charlie Barry, who is leading the garda investigation, said gardaí had studied CCTV footage on the South Ring Road and couldn’t see any sign of the 92-C registered van.

Detectives now believe that when it exited Westlawn onto the Sarsfield Road, the van took a right and headed up past the funeral home and back down Spur Hill towards Chetwynd cemetery.

It then crossed the main Cork-Bandon road and headed along back roads to a boreen at Castlewhite in Waterfall, where it was burned out.

“We are very anxious to speak to anybody who saw this van on these roads. We believe the van, which was fitted with bull bars, left the scene at high speed so it was probably in Waterfall as early as 8.05pm,” Supt Barry said.

Teams of Garda detectives continued house-to-house inquiries yesterday in both Wilton and Waterfall.

The presumption that this was a gangland killing is at odds with the type of weapon and vehicle used.

Professional murderers are more likely to use handguns and would be very unlikely to use an 18-year-old van as a getaway vehicle.

However, gardaí know this could be a ruse to throw them off the scent and are examining all possibilities.

Gardaí have set up a special incident room at Togher Garda Station and are appealing for anybody with information to contact them on 021-4947129.