DPP directs no prosecution over double murder in botched Ballymun gangland shooting

Seán McCárthaigh

The DPP has directed that no prosecution should arise over the murder of two innocent people in a botched gangland shooting in north Dublin eight years ago.

A sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard that nobody will face criminal proceedings for the double murder of Antoinette Corbally (47) and Clinton Shannon (30) in Ballymun on August 16th, 2017.

Detective Inspector Liam Donoghue told the hearing that the DPP had directed no prosecution in relation to both deaths following examination of a file on the Garda investigation into the murders.

However, Det Insp Donoghue informed the coroner, Aisling Gannon, that the DPP’s decision was being appealed by the family of Mr Shannon.

On that basis, he sought an adjournment of the full inquest into the two deaths to allow a review of the DPP’s decision to be completed.

Both victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds in an incident on Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, where Ms Corbally’s brother, Derek Devoy, is believed to have been the intended target of a gangland hit.

Ms Corbally, a mother of six from St Brendan’s Road, Drumcondra, was hit in the head and torso in the hallway of her sibling’s house at around 4pm.

Mr Shannon, a locksmith from Lincoln Hall, Applewood, Swords, Co Dublin, had been sitting in a car parked outside the house when he was shot in the neck and chest.

It is understood Mr Devoy, who was a well-known criminal, was being targeted because of his role in a feud with a local criminal gang.

His brother, Michael Devoy (41), was shot dead by the Kinahan cartel in January 2014.

Mr Shannon had pulled up in the vehicle outside the house on Balbutcher Drive at around 4pm just before the attack.

Ms Corbally's pregnant daughter, Andrea, who was 18 at the time, was injured after a bullet grazed her, while another victim, Brian Moran, was treated in the Mater Hospital for a gunshot wound to the leg.

A lone suspect had alighted from a silver 08-reg Opel Zafira that had been driven into Balbutcher Drive before entering the front garden of a house and discharging several rounds from a firearm, which resulted in the fatal shooting of Ms Corbally and Mr Shannon.

The driver of the Zafira remained in the vehicle and drove towards the end of the cul-de-sac, where attempts were made to set the vehicle alight.

The gunman ran towards a pedestrian walkway, which leads to Cranogue Terrace, where he and the driver jumped into a waiting black '06 reg Volkswagen Golf that was driven by a third individual.

Gardaí believe the getaway vehicle drove to the Santry Close housing estate opposite the Morton Stadium on Swords Road, where it was set alight at around 4.05pm.

It is believed the three occupants then transferred to a grey Toyota Corolla Verso with registration number 05-KE-4228, which travelled northbound on the M1 motorway before passing through Swords and heading in the direction of Ashbourne, Co Meath.

Gardaí believe they stopped at a house or yard somewhere in the Ashbourne or Rathoath area before two of the individuals continued their journey in the Toyota and passed through Navan shortly after 7pm.

The vehicle was tracked on the M3 motorway before passing through Cavan Town, Clones and Monaghan Town.

Its last sighting was when it was travelling from south Armagh towards Newry, Co Down at around 9.45pm.

A male in his 30s was arrested almost two weeks after the fatal shootings but was later released without charge.

Det Insp Donoghue said the review of the DPP’s decision that there should be no prosecution as a result of the appeal by Mr Shannon’s family could take 12 weeks to conclude.

The coroner granted his application for an adjournment of the inquests on the basis that the two deaths were linked.

Ms Gannon fixed September 10th for the next hearing in the case but requested that she be updated of any development in the interim.