Peter Butterly, di Dunleer in County Louth, è stato ucciso nella Contea di Meath.
L’omicidio è avvenuto poco dopo le 14:30 nel parcheggio dell’Huntsman Inn, vicino a Gormanston.
All’uomo avrebbero sparato ripetutamente attraverso il parabrezza mentre si trovava al volante della sua auto.
Butterly era conosciuto alla polizia irlandese per il coinvolgimento in attività repubblicane.
Fu arrestato e accusato tre anni fa per aver trasportati componenti di bombe destinati all’assemblaggio.
In seguito Butterly venne prosciolto dallo Special Criminal Court perché il mandato di ricerca fu dichiarato incostituzionale.
Il vice patologo di stato, Dottore Khalid Jabbar, ha eseguito un’esame preliminare, quindi ha autorizzato il trasferimento del corpo all’ospedale Our Lady of Lourdes a Drogheda.
Nell’ospedale sarà eseguita un’approfondita autopsia.
Quattro uomini sono stati arrestati dalla Gardaí dopo che gli agenti hanno fermato un veicolo nella vicina Balscadden Road. Un quinto uomo è stato fermato poco dopo.
Gli arrestati sono detenuti in diverse stazioni di polizia a Dublino e potranno essere interrogati per tre giorni.
L’area dell’omicidio è stata transennata per permettere un’accurata indagine.
La polizia irlandese vorrebbe parlare con chiunque si trovasse intorno al pub tra le 13 e le 14:30.
Gli investigatori stanno cercando di stabilire un movente per l’omicidio, ma sospettano sia collegato alle tensioni interne ai gruppi repubblicani accresciute dopo l’assassinio di Alan Ryan, numero uno della Real IRA colpito a morte a Dublino lo scorso anno.
Il Soprintendente David Taylor ha affermato che la polizia ha sentito diversi testimoni presenti sulla scena del delitto.
Tratto da Rté
Man shot dead in pub car park in Co Meath
A Co Louth man in his 30s has been shot dead in Co Meath.
He was shot during a confrontation in the car park of the Huntsman Inn near Gormanston just before 2.30pm.
He has been named locally as Peter Butterly from Dunleer.
Mr Butterly was known to gardaí for his involvement in dissident republican activities.
He was arrested and charged with the transportation of bomb components for assembly three years ago.
Mr Butterly was later acquitted at the Special Criminal Court because a search warrant was declared unconstitutional.
He was married with two teenage daughters and a young son.
Deputy State Pathologist Dr Khalid Jabbar has carried out a preliminary examination and the body has been removed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.
A post mortem examination is due to be carried out tomorrow.
Four men were arrested after gardaí stopped a car on the nearby Balscadden Road. A fifth man was arrested near the scene a short time later.
They are being held at various garda stations in Dublin and can be questioned for up to three days.
The area has been sealed off for a technical and forensic examination.
Gardaí have appealed for anyone with information to contact Laytown Garda Station on 041-9813320 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800-666-111.
They particularly want to speak to to anyone who was around the pub between 1pm and 2.30pm.
Detectives are trying to establish a motive for the shooting, but suspect it could be related to tension within dissident republican groups following the murder of Alan Ryan in Dublin last year.
Superintendent David Taylor said a family liason officer has been appointed to deal with the dead man’s family.
He said gardaí have taken a number of witness statements have been taken from people at the scene.