Victim shared beer with killer before shooting

The victim of a targeted shooting shared a can of beer with his killer moments before he was shot three times in the head, an inquest heard.

Vincent O’Brien, 53, was shot multiple times as he sat on the couch in the living room of his home at Kilbride Grove in Bray, Co Wicklow, on Aug 10, 2005.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard that Mr O’Brien’s next-door neighbours, Patrick and Breda Tobin, were watching television just after 10pm when they heard four loud bangs. The gunman, who was wearing a baseball cap and a hooded top, was seen running past the Tobin’s house by a family friend immediately after the noise. It is believed he made his escape on foot.