Killer gunmen were drunk, says victim's mother

Gunmen who shot a west Belfast man dead at his home were drunk when they did it, the victim’s mother said today.

Danny McGurk, 35, was hit five times in the back and legs after his killers confronted him at his home.

His mother Mary said: “They came staggering in with guns.”

Relatives and neighbours said dissident republicans who were members of the Real IRA and were heavily involved in drugs and crime were responsible for the killing.

Just 24 hours earlier Mr McGurk had taken a knife to go looking for men who had beaten him up with hatchets and hammers after accusing him of urinating against a house near his home at Ross Road in the lower Falls area.

Even though still badly injured, he signed himself out of the Royal Victoria Hospital.

His 73-year-old mother said: “Danny didn’t do anything to deserve this. He wouldn’t have hurt a fly. It is because he stood up to thugs and drug dealers.

“Nobody can say ‘boo’ to them. People are sick of them, but nobody has the heart to do anything about it. Danny was murdered for nothing.”

Mr McGurk’s wife Patsy was with two of the couple’s five children outside the house when the gunmen struck yesterday. He was watching television at the time.

He was a patient of Dr Joe Hendron, the former SDLP Assemblyman for west Belfast, who declared: “God help Ireland if people like the killers of Daniel were in control. They are the enemies of the Irish people.”

Gerry Adams, the Sinn Féin president, said there was a great sense of anger and outrage in the community.

He added: “People are deeply offended at suggestions he was the target of a punishment shooting. On the contrary, Danny McGurk was the victim of gangsterism and thuggery.”