‘Communities continue to be terrorised’

THE bloody gunning down of two brothers in west Dublin has sparked fury among local and opposition TDs with calls for a mandatory 25-year sentence for gangland murders.

Locals in Neilstown were in shock after the double-murder which was carried out in daylight and also left a 14-year-old fighting for his life in hospital.

Despite claims by Garda chiefs yesterday that the force would face down serious crime, there were claims communities were being terrorised by gangland thugs.

In the latest murder of criminal brothers Paul and Kenneth Corbally, a volley of gun shots were fired at their black Lexus saloon car on a main road in a residential area.

Fine Gael’s justice spokesman, Charlie Flanagan, said the cold-blooded hit on the brothers in which a teenage passenger in the car was injured, showed the need for tough anti-gangland legislation.

“Our thoughts are now with this young victim and his family and I wish him a speedy recovery. The fact that this double murder took place on a bright evening, while people were out enjoying the sunshine and children were playing, shows how communities continue to be terrorised.”

The opposition want tougher measures brought in against gangland crime, including a 25-year mandatory sentence for murder.

Mr Flanagan claimed that under urgent legislation rushed in last year to make gang membership an offence, there had not been one conviction.

Local west Dublin FF TD and Minister John Curran said: “This is a disgraceful crime, carried out with absolutely no regard for human life whatsoever and I condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

The Government chief whip urged locals to support the garda investigation and for potential witnesses to pass on details.

Fellow local TD and Sinn Féin justice spokesman Aengus O Snodaigh called for more resources to help tackle the scourge of drugs in communities.

“Gardaí, who are fully trained to fight against crime, need to be taken out from behind their desks and put directly into the fight against the drugs crisis in this state.”

According to recent figures provided to TDs, as many as 12% of the garda’s 14,000-strong force are desk bound and assigned to work away from patrolling the streets.

Pat Rabbitte, Labour’s justice spokesman who has represented Neilstown residents for some years, described the murders as appalling.