Gardaí questioning man over fatal shooting of mother of five

Sandra Boyd was shot dead on Saturday night.

Detectives are questioning a man in relation to the shooting dead of mother Sandra Boyd, as relatives attempted to comfort her five children.

The suspect, a male in his late 20s, is known to the wider family.

In addition, the tragedy may have happened when Ms Boyd, aged 36, tried to stop a man leaving the house, in Finglas East, North Dublin, with a loaded handgun.

Gardaí, assisted by the state pathologist and ballistic experts, are examining if the shot was accidentally discharged in the tussle. The weapon was retrieved by gardaí.

It is understood Ms Boyd, who was in her parents’ house for a birthday party, was shot in the chest and pronounced dead in hospital.

Flowers left at the scene where a 36-year-old woman in Dublin was killed. Gardaí believe the suspect in the killing could have been shot accidentally. Sandra Boyd, a mother of five, was shot in her family home at Collins Place in Finglas East in Dublin. Picture: Sasko Lazarov

She leaves behind four boys and a girl as well as her partner, Darren Nolan, who has expressed his heartbreak on social media.

The shooting happened on Saturday night at a house on Collins Place, near Ballygall Road West.

Neighbours and friends have been laying wreaths and flowers at the scene over the last two days.

Locals have expressed deep sympathy for the family and are also concerned for their own safety, with Saturday’s shooting coming on the back of a gun attack in the immediate area last week, in which the wrong house is thought to have been targeted.

Gardaí were looking for a man after the shooting and later made an arrest of a male in his late 20s.

He is being questioned “on suspicion of murder”.

A Garda statement said the man was being questioned under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007, which allows for a maximum detention period of seven days.

Sinn Féin councillor Anthony Connaghan said: “People are just sick and appalled that something like this is after happening, to a mother of five. The community there is filled with grief. My condolences go to the kids of Sandra and her family.”

He said the community was also concerned at the accessibility of guns, given it follows a gun attack in the area the previous week.

“It’s not that people feel intimidated, but they are fearful of how easily these guns seem to be available," Mr Connaghan said.

He said both hend the Sinn Féin TD for the area, Dessie Ellis, have been highlighting the need for more Garda resources.

Garda resources

“We’ve been calling for extra Garda resources to be on the ground,” he said. “Once gardaí have a visible presence, that has an impact.” But he said the local gardaí were doing their best: “I have to say the guards are doing a fantastic job in Finglas, for what they have, but they are under-resourced.

"When they are in areas, they do put pressure on lads, they do stop things, but they can’t be there 24/7. They need to have proper resources.” 

Fianna Fáil councillor Keith Connolly, who is the chair of the Dublin North West Joint Policing Committee, said he knew the wider family of Sandra Boyd.

“There is a great sense of shock and grief, particularly at the circumstances,” he said, adding he visited the scene on Sunday morning.

On the wider issue of community safety and policing, he said the area was down a community sergeant for 14 months, but now had a replacement and that two more sergeants were due in the coming weeks.

“There’s no doubt the guards are under-resourced, absolutely,” he said. 

“The ‘K’ District is one of the biggest Garda districts, covering Blanchardstown, Finglas and Cabra. There are a number of feuds going on in Finglas, so we could always do with more guards.” 

But, like his fellow councillor, he commended local gardaí: “The gardaí are doing their best and have made local improvements.” 

He said the local chief superintendent attended the JPCs and that they were due to get a presentation on the Youth Diversion Programme locally at the next meeting, saying this area was crucial in reducing the numbers of young people getting caught up in criminal gangs.

“Unfortunately, young people can get small bits of money or a bike and they get sucked in and, once in, it's very hard to get out, so with youth diversion you can get them at a younger age.”