Tributes flow for young man killed after being deliberately run down in Ballymun
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A young man died after being deliberately run down by a car in the early hours of Saturday morning in what is believed to be part of a vicious gangland feud.
Kevin Kelly, who was in his early 20s, was killed instantly after he was struck by the vehicle on Balbutcher Lane in Ballymun, North Dublin.
It is understood there is an ongoing feud in the area between two gangs which are made up of mostly young men in their early twenties.
Gardaí and emergency services arrived on Balbutcher Lane around 5am and Mr Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed afterwards and technical examinations were carried out by garda forensic experts.
(Image: Philip Fitzpatrick)
Kevin Kelly was well known in the area and is believed to have been aligned with one group which was feuding with another gang.
Local Fianna Fail Councillor Keith Connolly described the incident as a tragedy and added that the deceased man's home had been attacked during the week.
He said: "As far as I know this wasn't an accident...his house was targeted during the week. There is complete shock in the area and anyone who has any information should contact An Garda Siochana.
(Image: Philip Fitzpatrick)
"My sincere condolences to his family and friends, this was a terrible thing to happen. We have a meeting on Monday with the Guards and I'm sure they will have an update then."
It is understood that the feud involves one gang based around the Poppintree area of Ballymun and another in Shangan.
Social Democrat Councillor Mary Callaghan said the entire community is in shock.
She said: "It is a tragic loss and the whole community is feeling it. My heartfelt condolences go out to Kevin's family and friends at this very difficult time."
Pals of Mr Kelly took to social media to pay tribute to him and condemn those who may have been responsible for his death.
One friend stated on Facebook: "Rip my little friend, too good for this life kiddo gonna miss you terribly.
"Always a smile on the worst days, always after an owl spud some memories with you bro around me since you're a baby. Better be with the boys watching over us all."
Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward. In particular, they are looking to speak with people who were in the Balbutcher Lane and Balcurris Park areas, between 4am and 5am, including those with camera or dash-cam footage.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station at 01 6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
This is the second man to die this week after being deliberately run down by a car. Mircea Rostas, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene on Railway Street, Balbriggan last Monday night after being hit by a car. A man has since appeared in court in connection with the incident.
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Irish Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Garda impersonated colleague to incite men online to come to home and rape her
A former garda has said a colleague carried out a "calculated, predatory act of violence" by impersonating her online and inciting men to come to her home and rape her. Shane Flanagan (39), with an address in Co Clare, impersonated the woman on a well-known fetish website and on Facebook for the purpose of arranging for people to come to her home and rape her. He created the accounts using the woman's personal information, and shared details including her address, and photos of her and her daughters. Detective Garda Paul English told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that the woman and Flanagan were friends and there had never been any romantic or sexual history between them. He said she was extremely shocked to find out that Flanagan was the one who had been impersonating her online. "If you gave me a list of 500 names of people that could have done this to me, I would never have guessed it was him," he told the investigation. Flanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman on dates between November and December 2020. He also pleaded guilty to six counts of endangerment, in that he intentionally or recklessly engaged in impersonating the woman in Facebook communications, and on a fetish website and in which communications invited persons unknown to visit violence upon her and two others, thereby creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm on dates between 2018 and 2020. Flanagan also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of four images of child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography, on January 7, 2021. He has no previous convictions. Reading her victim impact statement, the woman said Flanagan was a fellow garda, someone she had trusted and called a friend, who was supposed to uphold the same professional values. She said he not only betrayed her, but took her career. She said Flanagan "plotted" to have her and her daughters attacked, and that he "planned for men to find us and carry out unspeakable acts of violence". She said this was a "betrayal beyond words". She said she no longer feels safe in her own home, has developed anxiety and panic attacks, and that her trust in others has been damaged. She said no sentence could undo the harm caused and told the court this was not just a "betrayal of friendship" but a "calculated predatory act of violence that has left lifelong scars" for her and her daughters. The woman asked the court to impose a just sentence to reflect the safety of others and restore trust in the institution of An Garda Siochana. The court heard that the woman became aware that someone was using her image on a fetish website after a user of that site contacted her on her genuine Facebook page in 2020. In December 2020, she created an account on the website and while pretending to be male, interacted with the user pretending to be her. The court heard during this interaction, information was shared about her, her address and that she has two teenage daughters. She then made a complaint to gardai. Evidence was heard of an extensive investigation, which connected the account impersonating the woman to Flanagan. His home was searched on January 17, 2021 and items included a phone and laptop were seized. Flanagan provided passwords for these devices and for an email address. An analysis of these devices by the Garda National Cyber Crime Unit identified over 2,000 screenshots from Pulse, 32 records of missing persons and 18 images of garda age identification documents. The log-in details for the account were autosaved to the browser and this site was accessed 4,089 times between October 2020 and mid-January 2021. Four images of child abuse material were also found on the laptop. The investigation also found that Flanagan had created a false Facebook account in the name of 'Laura O'Riordan', again using the injured party's information. Det Sgt English told the court that hundreds of images of the woman, including 219 doctored ones were found as part of the search. Two of the users of the fetish website who interacted with Flanagan while he pretended to be the woman provided statements to gardai. Flanagan incited them to break into the woman's house and rape her. Both genuinely believed they were talking to a woman who had a fetish for 'CNC' or consensual non consent. These situations involve one party, typically female, agreeing for another party to carry out a rape at an agreed location. Ms Lawlor told the court these men believed they were speaking to the woman, who was consenting to them individually coming to her home to rape her, which she had consented to in advance. Details of these sexually graphic conversations were read to the court. One of these men, who lives in the UK, told gardai that this person must "really hate" the victim to go to these lengths. Flanagan also shared information including the woman's address, a Google Street view of her home and invited the users to come to the woman's home to rape her. He also told these users that the woman was a single parent with two teenage daughters. Flanagan, while pretending to be the woman, also asked some users if they were available that night. Some of these 12 users indicated they lived in Ireland, or in towns or cities near to the woman's address, the court heard. Flanagan replied: "Oh cool, you're not living too far away", when one man said he lived nearby. Another user, who also indicated they lived near to the woman replied "good, secure, abandoned buildings to have some fun in", when Flanagan referred to a particular town. Flanagan also shared a route jogged by the woman with another user. Under the alias of 'Laura O'Riordan', Flanagan engaged in similar conversations using Facebook Messenger. He shared photos of the woman, her children, gave out her address, Eircode and shared a screenshot of a route she runs taken from the Strava app. Det Sgt English said the 'Laura O'Riordan' Facebook account came to light during the investigation. Gardai identified that Flanagan reported it to the social media site as a fake account following the search of his home, but Facebook refused to delete it. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Ms Lawlor said the endangerment charges against Flanagan relate to the invitation to these individuals to carry out violence on the woman represented a significant risk to her life and those of her children. In a victim impact statement, the woman's older daughter said Flanagan had been a family friend for a long time and she now looks back on past events wondering if she missed any signs. She said she experienced a loss of trust in others and spoke of the impact of this going on in the background while attending school. She also spoke of experiencing nightmares and noted that her mother had tried to protect them from finding out what had happened for as long as possible. Flanagan was interviewed six times in February 2022. He made some admissions, including to ownership of the devices. He confirmed knowing the woman and when material was put to him replied "everything you've shown me there, that was me". He apologised to the woman and admitted communicating with between 20 and 30 individuals while pretending to be the woman. He described it as "harmless roleplay". Det Sgt English agreed with Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, that his client retired from the gardai in March this year and had an "unblemished" record of service. Testimonials from family members, probation and psychological reports were handed to the court. Mr Dywer read a letter of apology from his client to the court. Flanagan said he felt "deep guilt, shame" and understands now that "I did not just cause fear, I destroyed a sense of fear, dignity and trust" and stole the victims' peace of mind. He said "this has been a sobering and painful experience for me" and that he is seeking help to address his issues. Defence counsel asked the court to take into account his client's guilty pleas, the contents of the reports and that his time in custody will be more onerous as he was a garda. Flanagan was suspended from the force in 2021, retiring in March this year. Mr Dwyer noted the reports refer to his client suffering with suicidal ideation. His client is assessed at low to medium risk of re-offending. Counsel said a protective factor is "the absence of hostility to women" and his client's actions appeared "rooted in imagination or fantasy, not reality", though in this case, the actions "did translate into more than just a fantasy". Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Flanagan in custody for finalisation of sentence next month.
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
'Betrayal beyond words': Garda impersonated colleague to incite men to rape and kill her
Notice: Readers may find the details of this case disturbing. A former garda has said a colleague carried out a 'calculated, predatory act of violence' by impersonating her online and inciting men to come to her home and rape her. Shane Flanagan, aged 39, and with an address in Co Clare, impersonated the woman on a fetish website and on Facebook for the purpose of arranging for people to come to her home and rape her. He created the accounts using the woman's personal information, and shared details including her address, and photos of her and her daughters Detective Garda Paul English told Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, that the woman and Flanagan were friends and there had never been any romantic or sexual history between them. Shock discovery Det Gda English said the woman was extremely shocked to find out that Flanagan was the one who had been impersonating her online. 'If you gave me a list of 500 names of people that could have done this to me, I would never have guessed it was him,' the woman told the investigation. Flanagan's guilty pleas Flanagan pleaded guilty to two counts of inciting two men to rape the woman on dates between November and December 2020. He also pleaded guilty to six counts of endangerment, in that he intentionally or recklessly engaged in impersonating the woman in Facebook communications, and on the "Fetlife" website and in which communications invited persons unknown to visit violence upon her and two others, thereby creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm on dates between 2018 and 2020. Flanagan also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of four images of child sexual abuse material — known in law as child pornography — on January 7, 2021. He has no previous convictions. Victim impact statement Reading her victim impact statement, the woman said Flanagan was a fellow garda, someone she had trusted and called a friend, who was supposed to uphold the same professional values. She said he not only betrayed her, but took her career. She said Flanagan 'plotted' to have her and her daughters attacked, and that he 'planned for men to find us and carry out unspeakable acts of violence'. She said this was a 'betrayal beyond words'. She said she no longer feels safe in her own home, has developed anxiety and panic attacks, and that her trust in others has been damaged. 'Predatory act of violence that has left lifelong scars' She said no sentence could undo the harm caused and told the court this was not just a 'betrayal of friendship' but a 'calculated predatory act of violence that has left lifelong scars' for her and her daughters. The woman asked the court to impose a just sentence to reflect the safety of others and restore trust in the institution of An Garda Siochana. The court heard that the woman became aware that someone was using her image on Fetlife after a user of that website contacted her on her genuine Facebook page in 2020. Victim interacted with account pretending to be her In December 2020, she created an account on Fetlife and, while pretending to be male, interacted with the user pretending to be her. The court heard during this interaction, information was shared about her, her address, and that she has two teenage daughters. She then made a complaint to gardaí. Evidence was heard of an extensive investigation, which connected the Fetlife account impersonating the woman to Flanagan. His home was searched on January 17, 2021 and items including a phone and laptop was seized. Flanagan provided passwords for these devices and for an email address. Flanagan's screenshots included Pulse data An analysis of these devices by the Garda National Cyber Crime Unit identified over 2,000 screenshots from Pulse, 32 records of missing persons, and 18 images of garda age identification documents. The login details for the Fetlife account were autosaved to the browser and this site was accessed 4,089 times between October 2020 and mid-January 2021. Child abuse images Four images of child abuse material were also found on the laptop. The investigation also found that Flanagan had created a false Facebook account in the name of 'Laura O'Riordan', again using the injured party's information. Det Sgt English told the court that hundreds of images of the woman, including 219 doctored ones were found as part of the search. Two of the users of Fetlife who interacted with Flanagan while he pretended to be the woman provided statements to gardaí. Incitement to rape Flanagan incited them to break into the woman's house and rape her. Both genuinely believed they were talking to a woman who had a fetish for 'CNC' or consensual non consent. These situations involve one party, typically female, agreeing for another party to carry out a rape at an agreed location. Ms Lawlor told the court these men believed they were speaking to the woman, who was consenting to them individually coming to her home to rape her, which she had consented to in advance. Details of these sexually graphic conversations were read to the court. One of these men, who lives in the UK, told gardaí that this person must 'really hate' the victim to go to these lengths. In one message to this man, Flanagan — pretending to be the woman — said her fantasy was for someone to stalk her, break into her home while she was asleep or to kidnap her while she was jogging. Flanagan shared details of the woman's address, her Eircode, and that she has two daughters with this man. Details of Flanagan's interactions with 12 other users of Fetlife, who could not be identified by gardaí, were described to the court. These conversations included graphic descriptions of sexual violence, torture, rape, and cannibalism. Flanagan shared victim's address and personal information Flanagan also shared information including the woman's address, a Google Street view of her home and invited the users to come to the woman's home to rape her. He also told these users that the woman was a single parent with two teenage daughters. Flanagan, while pretending to be the woman, also asked some users if they were available that night. Some of these 12 users indicated they lived in Ireland, or in towns or cities near to the woman's address, the court heard. When one man said he lived nearby, Flanagan replied: Oh cool, you're not living too far away. Another user, who also indicated they lived near to the woman replied 'good, secure, abandoned buildings to have some fun in', when Flanagan referred to a particular town. Flanagan also shared a route jogged by the woman with another user. Personal data also shared via Facebook Messenger Under the alias of 'Laura O'Riordan', Flanagan engaged in similar conversations using Facebook Messenger. He shared photos of the woman, her children, gave out her address and Eircode, and shared a screenshot of a route she runs taken from the Strava app. One of the exchanges on Facebook outlined a roleplay scenario about the rape and torture of the woman and her daughters while another referred to spiking the children using sleeping tablets. Det Sgt English said the 'Laura O'Riordan' Facebook account came to light during the investigation. Gardaí identified that Flanagan reported it to the social media site as a fake account following the search of his home, but Facebook refused to delete it. Ms Lawlor said the endangerment charges against Flanagan relate to the invitation to these individuals to carry out violence on the woman represented a significant risk to her life and those of her children. Daughter's victim impact statement In a victim impact statement, the woman's older daughter said Flanagan had been a family friend for a long time and she now looks back on past events wondering if she missed any signs. She said she experienced a loss of trust in others and spoke of the impact of this going on in the background while attending school. She also spoke of experiencing nightmares and noted that her mother had tried to protect them from finding out what had happened for as long as possible. Flanagan was interviewed six times in February 2022. He made some admissions, including to ownership of the devices. He confirmed knowing the woman and when material was put to him replied 'everything you've shown me there, that was me'. He apologised to the woman and admitted communicating with between 20 and 30 individuals while pretending to be the woman. He described it as 'harmless roleplay'. Det Sgt English agreed with Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, that his client retired from the gardaí in March this year and had an 'unblemished' record of service. Apology and testimonials Testimonials from family members, and probation and psychological reports were handed to the court. Mr Dywer read a letter of apology from his client to the court. Flanagan said he felt 'deep guilt, shame' and understands now that 'I did not just cause fear, I destroyed a sense of fear, dignity and trust' and stole the victims' peace of mind. He said 'this has been a sobering and painful experience for me' and that he is seeking help to address his issues. Defence counsel asked the court to take into account his client's guilty pleas, the contents of the reports and that his time in custody will be more onerous as he was a garda. Flanagan was suspended from the force in 2021, retiring in March this year. Mr Dwyer noted the reports refer to his client suffering with suicidal ideation. His client is assessed at low to medium risk of re-offending. Counsel said a protective factor is 'the absence of hostility to women' and his client's actions appeared 'rooted in imagination or fantasy, not reality', though in this case, the actions 'did translate into more than just a fantasy'. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon remanded Flanagan in custody for finalisation of sentence next month. Images of victim doctored by Flanagan The court heard hundreds of images of the woman, including some which had been doctored by Flanagan showing her bound, gagged, naked or preparing to be cooked, were found on his laptop during the investigation. One of the men who talked to gardaí said he engaged with the profile created on Fetlife by Flanagan. He said he began as fantasy, but developed into conversations about how to carry out a kidnapping and a 'CNC' rape. He was able to use the information provided by Flanagan to identify the woman's address — which Flanagan confirmed in online messages. He told gardaí that he believed the interactions to be genuine. Some of the messages between Flanagan and this man were read to the court. After the man had outlined sexual acts he wished to carry out, Flanagan, pretending to be the woman, replied 'so intensive, humiliating, threatening". There was continued sexually graphic messages between Flanagan and this man, who made it clear that he knew where the woman lived. A second man told gardaí that he engaged in a discussion with Flanagan, who was pretending to be the woman, in which they talked about him breaking into her house and raping her. This man believed this would be done this with the woman's consent and was shocked at how dangerous this could have been for the injured party. Flanagan provided this man with the woman's address, her Eircode, and details about her car. In online messages, he suggested the man call to the woman's house that night, but the man — who was living on the island of Ireland — said he needed more notice. Flanagan's interactions on fetish site read to court Extracts from Flanagan's interactions with 12 other users of the Fetlife website were read to the court. In one interaction, Flanagan while pretending to be the woman said she loved 'the idea of being taken to a remote hotel, killed, cooked and served to guests at a cannibal feast'. He also discussed the taking of trophies or souvenirs and suggested this user could cut off a small piece of hair. Flanagan, while pretending to be the woman, outlined to many of these 12 users a fantasy of her home being broken into while she slept or being kidnapped while jogging. He claimed to one user that the woman's fantasy was 'to be tied up and spit roasted'. He then indicated her willingness to engage in rough sex while tied up and asked the user if he knew other men who would participate. When another user expressed an interest in anal sex, Flanagan as the woman said she 'loved the idea of being killed, cooked and eaten, I know it is a bit weird', later adding 'knowing I'm going to be stripped of my meat, maybe played with before I'm killed'. Flanagan appeared to share pictures of the woman's daughters with a different user. In this discussion, Flanagan as the woman said 'I might look innocent but I have a dark mind' and suggested they arrange a date in the following months. Another user replied 'you could be setting me up to rape and hurt someone you hate' during his discussions with Flanagan. This user also referred to renting a van and kitting it out with ropes and bindings. In this conversation, Flanagan as the woman referred to sexual fantasies of being 'hunted by human head collector', 'cooked and killed by a cannibal', and being dragged down a country road. Flanagan asked this user if he would be available that evening, but the man declined. Graphic conversations on Facebook Messenger Similar graphic conversations about sexual violence, torture, rape and cannibalism also took place between Flangan and others via Facebook Messenger, the court heard. In one thread of messages on Facebook, there was a discussion of sexual fantasies involving the cooking of children during which Flanagan as 'Laura O'Riordan' shared photos of the woman and her daughters. The Facebook user replied 'cute roasties'. This Facebook user said he lived in the United States and 'Laura O'Riordan' replied that 'her' heart was thumping after sharing personal details including her address. This Facebook user replies 'you did, consider yourself living on borrowed time now'. 'Laura O'Riordan' also said 'I must warn you I am a tougher girl than I look… could you behead me instead of cutting my throat'. Flanagan sent a doctored image of a person hogtied with the woman's face superimposed on it to another Facebook user and a photo of a naked woman — purportedly the injured party to a separate user. • If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
Dublin Live
17 hours ago
- Dublin Live
Tributes flow for young man killed after being deliberately run down in Ballymun
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A young man died after being deliberately run down by a car in the early hours of Saturday morning in what is believed to be part of a vicious gangland feud. Kevin Kelly, who was in his early 20s, was killed instantly after he was struck by the vehicle on Balbutcher Lane in Ballymun, North Dublin. It is understood there is an ongoing feud in the area between two gangs which are made up of mostly young men in their early twenties. Gardaí and emergency services arrived on Balbutcher Lane around 5am and Mr Kelly was pronounced dead at the scene. The road was closed afterwards and technical examinations were carried out by garda forensic experts. (Image: Philip Fitzpatrick) Kevin Kelly was well known in the area and is believed to have been aligned with one group which was feuding with another gang. Local Fianna Fail Councillor Keith Connolly described the incident as a tragedy and added that the deceased man's home had been attacked during the week. He said: "As far as I know this wasn't an house was targeted during the week. There is complete shock in the area and anyone who has any information should contact An Garda Siochana. (Image: Philip Fitzpatrick) "My sincere condolences to his family and friends, this was a terrible thing to happen. We have a meeting on Monday with the Guards and I'm sure they will have an update then." It is understood that the feud involves one gang based around the Poppintree area of Ballymun and another in Shangan. Social Democrat Councillor Mary Callaghan said the entire community is in shock. She said: "It is a tragic loss and the whole community is feeling it. My heartfelt condolences go out to Kevin's family and friends at this very difficult time." Pals of Mr Kelly took to social media to pay tribute to him and condemn those who may have been responsible for his death. One friend stated on Facebook: "Rip my little friend, too good for this life kiddo gonna miss you terribly. "Always a smile on the worst days, always after an owl spud some memories with you bro around me since you're a baby. Better be with the boys watching over us all." Gardaí have appealed for witnesses to come forward. In particular, they are looking to speak with people who were in the Balbutcher Lane and Balcurris Park areas, between 4am and 5am, including those with camera or dash-cam footage. Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballymun Garda Station at 01 6664400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. This is the second man to die this week after being deliberately run down by a car. Mircea Rostas, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene on Railway Street, Balbriggan last Monday night after being hit by a car. A man has since appeared in court in connection with the incident. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage .
