Escalating feud involving gun and pipe bomb attack leaves man ‘terrified'

Sunday World

23-04-2025

'I am in fear of my life'
A 60-year-old man has told of how he has been left 'living in fear' and forced to 'cage up' his home as an escalating feud involving two rivalling factions threatens to tear a midlands town apart.
Ned Myers revealed how he and his wife, who is battling ill-health, have resorted to desperate measures in an attempt to protect themselves and their property in the midst of a nine month feud that is continuing to engulf Mullingar town.
The latest twist to that dispute, which has seen incidents of criminal damage, arson, endangerment, assaults, the discharging of a firearm at a house and even the detonation of a pipe bomb, culminated in a street brawl where Mr Myers himself was allegedly assaulted just yards from Mullingar Courthouse along the town's Mount Street on March 6.
Johnny Dinnegan was charged with assault causing harm to his alleged victim, Ned Myers (60) outside Mullingar Courthouse in what was the latest feud related incident to hit the midlands town since July 4 last year.
Giving evidence at a contested bail hearing concerning his alleged assailant Johnny Dinnegan (19) Greenpark Close, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, Mr Myers detailed the almost daily anguish he continues to face as the feud involving members of the Nevin/Myers family and senior figures from the opposing Dinnegan faction continues to leave Mullingar teetering on a knife-edge.
'I am in fear of my life,' he told the court. 'I am terrified and I have my house caged up. I am living in fear of him (Dinnegan) and his family, the whole lot of them.'
Mr Myers' evidence came as Judge Bernadette Owens heard of garda objections to bail being granted to the part-time Mr Price worker.
The nub of those concerns, which were outlined under both section 2 of the Bail Act 1997 and O'Callaghan Rules, related to allegations Mr Myers was struck in the face by Dinnegan following an altercation between another unnamed individual and two brothers of the accused.
Detective Garda James Grogan said the incident stemmed from a bail hearing which had taken place just moments earlier involving another man.
'The entire situation was of a significant and violent nature in full view of the public,' he said.
'The verbals continued even after gardaí's involvement and both families were eventually separated.'
Ned Myers told the court how he has been left "living in fear" and forced to fortify his home as a direct consequence of the ongoing feud in Mullingar.
He said Mr Myers, together with another man, was brought inside the courthouse for their own safety before later being transferred to Mullingar's Midland Regional Hospital for treatment to a laceration over his eye.
Det Garda Grogan said Dinnegan, who was arrested in the wake of the incident, made 'full admissions' during interview.
CCTV footage of the alleged incident was likewise played in open court. Those images showed, according to Det Garda Grogan, Mr Myers wearing a red top with his alleged attacker sporting grey and green attire.
He said that footage, which was taken from outside the courthouse and a public house across the road, will form a key element in the prosecution's case against Dinnegan.
Det Garda Grogan said the State were objecting to bail on grounds linked to the seriousness of the charge as well as the nature of the evidence gardaí had garnered.
The Mullingar based garda also referenced fears gardaí harboured concerning how the incident formed part of an ongoing feud which senior investigators believed emanated from a drug debt.
He added how aside from a litany of serious offences, many of which are before the courts concerning incidents of endangerment, assaults and 'numerous incidents' of threats to kill and cause serious injury, the feud was showing little sign of abating.
'There is no sign of this feud de-escalating between both families,' he said, adding how it was the State's view the alleged assault on Mr Myers was a 'clear and blatant example of witness intimidation' which, he added, has become a 'constant in the ongoing feud in the town of Mullingar.'
The court was also informed a further element behind the State's opposition to bail centred on the fact Dinnegan was currently before the courts for a separate, 'feud related incident' on July 13 last year during which windows belonging to a rival family's home were smashed in.
Johnny Dinnegan was ordered to surrender his passport and stay off all social media platforms as part of his bail conditions.
Johnny Dinnegan outside Mullingar Courthouse.
In defence, Andrea Callan BL, said the reason her client had been in the vicinity of Mullingar Courthouse on the day of the incident was to accompany his mother Lucy who had been due to give evidence in connection to the aforementioned bail hearing.
'Johnny has been absolutely steadfast in this in that the only reason he got involved in this was because Ned Myers had pushed his younger brother,' she told the court.
Ms Callan said Dinnegan was continuing to abide by bail conditions set down by the court from last July and was someone who continued to labour under a stream of mental health ailments.
They included ODD (Opposition Defiance Disorder), EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder) and ADHD with Ms Callan also contending how Dinnegan had also been a long-term attendee of CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) in Mullingar.
When asked by Ms Callan if he and his fellow garda colleagues were privy to any of those conditions, Det Garda Grogan said he was not, adding: 'I am not aware he is in any way suffering from any mental health issues.'
Ms Callan insisted Dinnegan was someone who was very much peripheral to the ongoing feud, arguing that any impositions to his liberty would result in a 'very significant disruption' to both his employment and the ancillary supports he continues to receive.
Equally, she said garda requirements for him to reside outside the county as part of any bail conditions would have an 'absolutely detrimental' impact on Dinnegan's day to day personal circumstances.
By way of an expression of his desire to abide by any conditions the court set down, Ms Callan said the accused had come to court with a sum of €3,000 to offer as cash bail.
Dinnegan's mother, Lucy, also took the stand as she urged Judge Owens to preserve her son's liberty.
Ned Myers outside Mullingar Courthouse.
'I am Johnny's carer and I am asking you to give me the chance to be there for my son,' she said, insisting neither the Gardaí or the courts would hear a 'peep' from Dinnegan in the interim.
Following a brief adjournment to consider her verdict, Judge Owens said the State had met the necessary thresholds under both Section 2 and O'Callaghan Rules.
That said, she said the court was obligated to consider whether conditions would suffice in meeting any concerns of Dinnegan not answering his bail.
Judge Owens said a key focus of the State's fears appeared to centre around Dinnegan's place of residence.
She said given his age and mental health concerns, there was an onus to allow accused individuals before the courts to 'put their best foot forward'.
In that respect, Judge Owens said the court was minded to grant bail to Dinnegan, adding how it would be correspondingly 'disproportionate' to expect him to reside outside of Mullingar while in gainful employment.
Dinnegan was remanded on bail on his own bond of €3,000 while subject to a string of conditions.
They included orders to reside at Mill House, Canal Avenue, Mullingar, to observe a 10pm to 7am curfew, to have no contact with his alleged victim or any member of the Myers family, to sign on daily at Mullingar Garda Station, to stay off all social media platforms and to surrender his passport.
He is due to appear back at a sitting of Mullingar District Court on June 12.