Gardaí expected to charge 'paranoid' man with murder of teenager Conor O’Brien

Conor O'Brien was found dead at a house in Co. Meath having sustained a gunshot wound.

Charges are expected soon in relation to the shooting dead of an innocent teenager outside a house in Co Meath last Thursday week.

A man suspected of the murder of Conor O’Brien is being questioned after he showed off a gun at a pub in Carlow Town on Tuesday night. When the firearm was subject to ballistic and other tests it revealed it was the same weapon that was used in the shooting of the 19-year-old.

The suspect, aged in his 50s, is a convicted criminal originally from south Dublin and living in west Dublin. He is understood to have gone to the house in Enfield, Co Meath, as part of his work.

Gardaí are trying to establish what circumstances led to the shooting of Mr O’Brien. They had previously delivered a number of official messages, known as GIM (Garda Information Message) forms, to the suspect informing him there were threats to his life.

Detectives suspect he was “paranoid” and may have feared he was being set up or for some reason got “spooked” when he arrived at the house and met Mr O’Brien.

The suspect had been drinking last Tuesday, when he went into a pub and looked to be served. When he was refused, he became aggressive and showed staff his gun, a Glock pistol. Gardaí were called and arrested him on suspicion of possessing a firearm and questioned him in relation to that particular offence.

When results from ballistic tests on the weapon came back to arresting officers at tea-time on Wednesday it matched the gun used in the Meath shooting. The suspect has since been questioned in relation to the murder and charges are expected soon on foot of consultations with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí will have to seek an extension to the suspect’s detention at 10pm tonight, otherwise they will have to either charge or release him. Officers have already seized the suspect’s car and ballistic and DNA tests have been conducted on that.

“It’s bizarre, completely weird,” said one garda. “Obviously, he was paranoid and just assumed he was being set up, that’s the working assumption. All the indications so far are that, for whatever reason, he panicked and shot the lad, and got it wrong.” Sources confirmed that Mr O’Brien was an innocent party with no links to crime or the suspect.

The suspect has been linked to two previous shootings, in Dublin and Meath. Mr O’Brien’s body was not found until early on Friday morning at the property.

He had been staying there in the recent months while commuting to Dublin where he was working on building sites. He was due to start a 12-month course next week in blacksmithing in Co. Limerick.