Gardaí consider Kinahan-Hutch link to Lucan murder

Gardaí are investigating whether the murder of criminal Mark Desmond in Dublin on Friday night may be linked to the Hutch-Kinahan drug feud.

The 41-year-old's body was discovered in open parkland at Griffeen Valley Park, Lucan, on Friday night.

Gardaí said one gun was recovered from a blue-coloured Mazda 6 car, with an 05 registration plate, which was found burnt-out nearby at Hayden’s Lane.

Another firearm was found in nearby woodland on Saturday afternoon.

The murdered man was found on a footpath in the park and had suffered a number of gunshot wounds. He died at the scene.

Desmond, who was from Ballyfermot, had been convicted of unlawful possession of firearms with intent to endanger life and was a suspect in a number of gangland-style killings in Dublin over the past two decades.

One of the investigators’ lines of inquiry is a possible link to the feud between the Kinahan and Hutch gangs, which has so far resulted in 10 murders.

At a press briefing on Saturday, Supt Liam Carolan said he could not comment on reports that the deceased was chased into the park before the shooting. He said Desmond was the father of a number of children.

Appeal

Supt Carolan appealed to members of the public who were in the Griffeen Valley Park/Hayden’s Lane area between 6pm and 10pm on Friday and who may have noticed anything suspicious, to get in contacted with the Garda incident room at 01-6667300.

He also appealed to drivers who were in the area and who had dash-cams, or local residents or businesses with CCTV cameras, to contact gardaí.

Desmond was well-known to gardaí and is suspected of involvement in a number of serious crimes, including murder. Some men in a car that arrived at the scene in Lucan on Friday night openly celebrated his death.

Locals reported hearing a number of shots, with one woman saying: “It was just like three bangs – pop, pop, pop.”

She added: “I didn’t really pay attention to it [the noise]because there is a skateboard park just there [beside the crime scene].”

Supt Carolan said there was nothing to suggest body had been in the park for any length of time.