Roche shooting a 'gangland hit', court hears

A Central Criminal Court jury has heard that the shooting of Noel Roche on the Clontarf Road four years ago was a "gangland hit".

Detective Inspector William McKenna agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that Mr Roche was known to gardaí and had been “coldly and clinically assassinated”.

Craig White (aged 23), of O’Devaney Gardens in north inner city Dublin, denies murdering Noel Roche (aged 27) on Clontarf Road on November 15, 2005. Mr Roche was found shot dead in the passenger seat of a Ford Mondeo.

Det Insp. McKenna told Anthony Sammon SC, that on December 5, 2005 he applied for warrants to search Mr White’s and his girlfriend’s homes. Det Insp.

McKenna arrested the accused on that date at his girlfriend’s house for unlawful possession of a firearm. Mr White made no reply at the time.

Under cross examination, Det Insp. McKenna agreed that it became apparent at an early stage that Mr Roche had been the victim of a gang land hit.

Det Insp. McKenna had not known Mr Roche but became aware that the deceased had been known to gardaí.

He also agreed with Mr Grehan that gardaí were told that a man called Patrick Doyle had shot Mr Roche from the back of a motorbike. The jury heard that Mr Doyle was shot dead in Spain in February 2008 and had also been known to gardaí.

In re-examination Det Insp. McKenna agreed with Mr Sammon that the deceased man’s distraught mother had accused Mr Doyle when she arrived at the scene of her son’s shooting. Investigations revealed no evidence of the use of a bike in the shooting.

Det Insp. McKenna also agreed with Mr Grehan that sources other than Mrs Roche had indicated that Mr Doyle shot Mr Roche. Det Insp. McKenna said that the driver of the Ford Mondeo in which Mr Roche was shot provided no helpful information.

It was the fifth day of the trial. Mr Justice George Birmingham had heard legal argument in the absence of the jury on the previous day.

Detective Garda Jeremiah Maloney told the court that he carried out a technical examination of a blue Peugeot 307 which had been abandoned on Furry Park Road not long after Mr Roche was shot.

He said that a brown paper bag was found in the rear of the driver’s foot well. Inside the bag he found a Glock semi-automatic pistol, balaclava, tea towel and a pair of gloves. The car was examined for fingerprints and firearm residue.

The trial will continue before Mr Justice Birmingham and a jury.