Dillon handed life sentence for murder of 'inspiration' Collins

A 24-year old Limerick man, who associated with the notorious Dundon-McCarthy criminal gang in the city, has been jailed for life for the murder of businessman and father of two Roy Collins last year.

The 35-year-old victim's mother Carmel, his father Steven and his partner Melissa Crawford broke down as James Dillon was led away in handcuffs from the sentence hearing at the Central Criminal Court this morning.

The packed court heard that the motive for the murder, which occurred on April 9, 2009, could be traced back nearly five years to December 2004. One of the Collin's family reported a crime to Gardaí, implicating a member of the Dundon-McCarthy gang. That person was afterwards jailed for seven years.

Steven Collins had been under Garda protection ever since, and it was widely believed that his son Roy was targeted and shot because of the family's association with the conviction.

The Collins family had expressed their relief that Dillon, of no fixed abode but who is from Limerick city, pleaded guilty to the murder, before a jury could be sworn in for the trial on Tuesday.

But in a powerful victim impact statement to the packed courtroom, Steven Collins said his family and Roy's brothers and sisters have been living in fear ever since, and are constantly looking over their shoulders “ and all because we did the right thing.”

“We did our civic duty and we paid the ultimate price,” he said.

And speaking outside the court following the sentencing, Mr Collins hit out at those responsible for his son's death, and said he was urging everyone to be “strong in the face of thugs”.

He said it was encouraging that nine arrests linked to criminal activity had been made in the Ballinacurra Weston area of Limerick in recent weeks. But he said it was important that people continued “to do the right thing” in the face of these thugs.

Referring to the new tougher gang legislation under which the arrests were made, Mr Collins said these laws were brought about because of what happened to his son, saying that this was Roy's “legacy”.

In his evidence to the court, Detective Sergeant Kevin Swan said that Steven Collins arrived to open the Steering Wheel pub at Roxboro Shopping Centre on the morning in question, accompanied by two armed Gardaí.

Just before 10am, Roy Collins arrived to open his own business, the Coin Castle amusement arcade, which was directly next door to his father's pub.

At around noon, James Dillon and another man were seen arriving at the shopping centre in a black Mercedes which had been stolen in Dublin ten days previous.

Dillon walked into the amusement arcade with a handgun and shot Roy Collins once in the front of the body at close range.

He then jumped back into the Mercedes which fled the scene at speed, crashing four times in the process. The two men abandoned the car, which was later found burnt out, and made their way on foot to Crecora Avenue in the south of the city.

In the meantime, Gardaí had driven to the estate, and spotted the two men who immediately ran from them.

After obtaining a search warrant, Gardaí entered the house that Dillon had escaped into, and found him hiding under bunk-beds in an upstairs bedroom.

Residue from a recently discharged firearm was found on his hoodie and on a glove.

Following twenty-six interviews at Henry Street Garda station, Dillon eventually admitted to Gardaí: “I shot Roy Collins.”

His defence lawyer, Patrick Gageby SC, told the court that Dillon's change of heart came about after he spoke with his grandfather, whom had reared him and whom he was very close to.

Mr Gageby said his grandparents were law-abiding citizens who wanted their grandson to “do the right thing.” He said from the age of 19, Dillon had been in and out of trouble, gaining 13 convictions for public order and road traffic offences.

He only became involved with the Dundon-McCarthy gang six months previous to Roy Collin's murder. And Mr Gageby said he never implicated anyone else in the murder out of fear.

He added that Dillon had stated he was “regretful” for the killing.

In his victim impact statement, Mr Collins Snr said evil had come into their lives on April 9, 2009, and that his family had lost the love of their lives “in a callous act, a cowardly act, an unforgivable act”.

He also spoke about Roy's two young daughters, whom he said are “lost and confused as to where their Daddy is gone. Their little hearts are broken beyond repair.”

He said Roy had been putting the finishing touches to his dream house with his partner Melissa, whom he lived and worked with and who were very close.

Mr Collins said he had to see the grief etched on the face of his wife Carmel every day, saying she was “a heartbroken shell of her former self”.

But he said his son's death had not only devastated his family, but the entire country.

“The impact this had on a nation is of disbelief. A sense of vulnerability and heartbreak for everyone.”

He broke down in tears as he finished his statement, saying there was a “link” gone from his life forever.

“My beautiful son, my pal, my inspiration, a boy I was so proud to call my son.”

Roy Collin's partner Melissa said she wished to echo the sense of devastation expressed by Steven Collins. She said their hopes, dreams and expectations for the future had been extinguished by the killing.

Mr Justice Paul Carney handed down the mandatory life sentence, backdating it to April 2009.