Father of Limerick murder victim forgives killers

The father of murdered Limerickman Roy Collins said he can forgive his son’s killers.

Stephen Collins said the killers were acting on someone else’s orders.

Speaking on RTÉ’s ‘Primetime’ last night, Mr Collins said he was certain of that person’s identity.

He said: “We know exactly where the orders came from, in prison.”

And he added: “They (the killers) were under orders from somebody else. We know they are brainwashed.”

He said those who carried out the shooting did not have a grudge against his family.

He added: “It’s one person who had a grudge against us and they were sent to do that.”

The killing is believed to be linked to the jailing of a criminal for 10 years in 2004 for threatening to kill a relative of Roy Collins, Ryan Lee, after he stopped a 14-year-old girl from going into the pub where he worked, owned by Stephen Collins.

Stephen Collins said last night: “This is all stemming from us just doing our job, keeping 14-year-old out of a pub.”

He believes members of his family who gave evidence in the court case did the right thing, despite what Roy’s death.

He described his son as his pride and joy. He recalled running into the arcade where his son was shot, and waiting with him until the ambulance arrived.

He said Roy asked him if he was going to die and that he gave him the thumbs up before leaving the scene in the ambulance.

He said: “No parent should have to go through that. It has just devastated us.”

Three people — including one woman — were being questioned in Limerick this morning in connection with last Thursday’s killing.

The woman was arrested yesterday morning.

The two men arrested an hour after the shooting last Thursday must be either released or charged tomorrow.

They had their period of detention extended by court order yesterday.

Chief Superintendent John Kerin told the court that 351 lines of enquiry have been followed and that 200 statements have been taken.

Article courtesy of The Evening Echo newspaper.