Gardaí renew appeal over murder of man found in forest 15 years ago
20-year-old Paul 'Frank' Byrne, was last seen on 15th of July 2009, at Kilmartin Green in Tallaght, Dublin 24, when its believed he left the area in a wine coloured Mitsubishi Carisma car, accompanied by a number of other men.
This was the last time Paul Byrne was seen alive.
He was reported missing by his mother the following day and his body was found in a wooded area by a forestry worker on July 29th 2010. Paul (Frank) Byrne. Pic: An Garda Siochana
To date, five people have been arrested in connection with the investigation, however, no one has been brought to justice for Paul's murder.
Now sixteen years on, Gardaí in Blessington are renewing their appeal for assistance and information and are urging anyone, who may know anything about what happened to Paul, or have learned of any details in the intervening years to come forward.
Gardai say that with the passage of time, people may now feel more comfortable sharing information about the case and especially if relationships or associations have changed over the years, and they have assured the public that they will treat anyone assisting in the investigation in a 'sensitive manner' and added 'Paul's family are anxious for the investigation to progress to bring them closure.'
Anyone with information can contact Gardaí in Blessington at (045) 865 202, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station.
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Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Gun-running ring boss offered to 'throw in' free pipe-bombs in €75k rifle deal
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Detective Inspector Shane McCartan of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who led an investigation into the gang's activities last year, said a firearms technician had been able to assemble 82 gun parts seized in a raid on a property in Co Louth last year into six assault rifles and a dozen pistols. Det. Insp. McCartan said McCourt had already been identified in connection with the suspected importation of firearms when the defendant was arrested for something else on May 24, 2024, and had his phone seized. Gardaí were able to extract data from the phone shedding light on the activities of the smuggling ring in the preceding year, along with conversations with prospective customers in messages on Signal, WhatsApp and Snapchat, the witness said. Det. Insp. McCartan said McCourt and his co-accused both flew to Las Vegas, Nevada on three occasions in April and May 2023. Mark McCourt appeared before the Special Criminal Court on Monday (Image: Collins) On April that year, following their return from the trip, McCourt told one prospective customer -- who used the alias 'The Keeler' – 'we got sorted this evening' and that it would take a few hours to 'stick them all together', the court was told. 'So get the cash ready lol,' McCourt added, before telling The Keeler to 'get another phone' as a 'burner'. In further text exchanges with The Keeler, McCourt wrote: '€75k cash is [the] best price' and that he had 'another man there for them today'. He said the receiver of the firearms would need 'a dry place like a hot press or that' as a 'stash spot'. 'If they get damp, they won't fire, that's why you see boys there and they're misfiring, because the powder is damp,' McCourt wrote. He then added: 'Tell them 75k and I'll throw in the 10 pipes for free.' Det. Insp. McCartan said: 'It's my belief that refers to pipe bombs.' He said one of a number of videos found on Mr McCourts phone, which were screened in court on Monday, had captured a serial number on an AR-15 rifle made by Anderson Defence traced to a sale on 10 February 2023 at a shop called Parumph Guns and Ammo near Las Vegas. 'It was purchased by the co-accused on 10 February 2023,' the witness said. As the videos were screened for the court, Det Insp McCartan said that what was being shown were 'AR-15 assault rifles, military grade' and their magazines, including one 'drum magazine' which could hold upwards of 50 bullets. A 'significant quantity' of loose rounds was also to be observed, he said. When a detective held up an example of one of the seized rifles in court, the detective inspector said: 'Judge, it should be noted that all of the firearms had their serial numbers bored off.' 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Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC said that while the videos and pictures 'were seized from his phone' the prosecution was not able to state that Mr McCourt had recorded them. Det Gda McCartan said he and his team had 'a serious concern' in late June and early July 2024 that the gang would import another load of weapons and sell them on. The court heard gardaí commenced a surveillance operation and obtained warrants for a shed and lands at Blackstaff, Ardee, Co Louth. McCourt and another member of the gang were arrested when Bureau detectives and armed officers from the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) raided the premises on July 19, 2024. 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 The 82 firearms parts were found 'all in the one suitcase' in the shed, along with nearly 900 rounds of pistol and rifle ammunition found in a Dunnes Stores bag on a sofa there, the witness said. Det Insp McCartan told the court the defendant has some 42 previous convictions including assault causing harm, theft, and dangerous driving 'on the high end'. He said McCourt and was jailed for three years, with 18 months suspended, on foot of a conviction for a criminal damage incident in which he had gone to the home address of an off-duty garda at 2.55am and 'rammed' her car. He agreed with Mr Grehan that this period of offending was when the McCourt was aged between 19 and 22. Mr Grehan presented the court with letters from local businesses which had used his client as a plumbing subcontractor and stated that they found him 'courteous and professional'. He said his client was the father of two children, and that his fiancée and her mother were 'standing by him'. Asking for 'the maximum mitigation allowable', Mr Grehan said he had been 'asked to tender an apology on his behalf to the court and the State for getting involved in these matters, and also to his family and the shame he's brought to them for this'. The State is to make further submissions on the gravity of the offending when the case is heard again on Thursday. However, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding, said the court would not be in a position to finalise sentence until a later date. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder is still one of the most mysterious of our time
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Sunday World
6 hours ago
- Sunday World
Boss of gun-running ring offered to ‘throw in' 10 pipe-bombs to seal deal with buyer
Mark McCourt (34) appeared before the Special Criminal Court today A plumber identified as the boss of a gun-running ring told a prospective customer he would throw in 10 pipe bombs as a free gift to seal a €75,000 cash deal to supply guns and ammunition smuggled by air from America, a sentencing court has heard. Mark McCourt (34), of Edenrieve, Newry, Co Down, appeared before the Special Criminal Court today, after pleading guilty last week to firearms offences and participating in a criminal organisation's efforts to import restricted weapons. A senior garda said in evidence to the three-judge court that he was 'fully satisfied' that there was a criminal organisation in existence under the 'control and direction' of McCourt 'whose function was the importation of firearms components from the USA to Ireland, and the reassembly of these restricted firearms for onward distribution to other criminal organisations'. Detective Inspector Shane McCartan of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who led an investigation into the gang's activities last year, said a firearms technician had been able to assemble 82 gun parts seized in a raid on a property in Co Louth last year into six assault rifles and a dozen pistols. Det. Insp. McCartan said McCourt had already been identified in connection with the suspected importation of firearms when the defendant was arrested for something else on 24 May 2024 and had his phone seized. Gardaí were able to extract data from the phone shedding light on the activities of the smuggling ring in the preceding year, along with conversations with prospective customers in messages on Signal, WhatsApp and Snapchat, the witness said. Seized weapons Det. Insp. McCartan said McCourt and his co-accused both flew to Las Vegas, Nevada on three occasions in April and May 2023. On April that year, following their return from the trip, McCourt told one prospective customer -- who used the alias 'The Keeler' – 'we got sorted this evening' and that it would take a few hours to 'stick them all together', the court was told. 'So get the cash ready lol,' McCourt added, before telling The Keeler to 'get another phone' as a 'burner'. In further text exchanges with The Keeler, McCourt wrote: '€75k cash is [the] best price' and that he had 'another man there for them today'. He said the receiver of the firearms would need 'a dry place like a hot press or that' as a 'stash spot'. 'If they get damp, they won't fire, that's why you see bots there and they're misfiring, because the powder is damp,' McCourt wrote. He then added: 'Tell them 75k and I'll throw in the 10 pipes for free.' Det. Insp. McCartan said: 'It's my belief that refers to pipe bombs.' He said one of a number of videos found on Mr McCourts phone, which were screened in court today, had captured a serial number on an AR-15 rifle made by Anderson Defence traced to a sale on 10 February 2023 at a shop called Parumph Guns and Ammo near Las Vegas. 'It was purchased by the co-accused on 10 February 2023,' the witness said. As the videos were screened for the court, Det Insp McCartan said that what was being shown were 'AR-15 assault rifles, military grade' and their magazines, including one 'drum magazine' which could hold upwards of 50 bullets. A 'significant quantity' of loose rounds was also to be observed, he said. Mark McCourt When a detective held up an example of one of the seized rifles in court, the detective inspector said: 'Judge, it should be noted that all of the firearms had their serial numbers bored off.' Prosecuting counsel Simon Matthews BL, said that after another trip to Las Vegas in May 2023, a text from McCourt's phone to a prospective buyer under the alias 'Vladimir Putin' said: 'I can get an AR-15… she'll drop a deer at 900 yards, no problem.' 'Vladimir Putin' then asked about buying a '7.62 sniper' – and about the source of the weapons. 'We ram raid the place across the water,' McCourt replied, adding: 'Yeah mate, don't know, but I can get a price. In another exchange stored on the seized phone, another prospective customer under the alias 'Duff' asked: 'Sweet bro, and if I need another AR [assault rifle] how soon can I get it?' 'That'll be next month… but they're definitely there to be got,' came the reply by voice note, which was played to the court. Defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC said that while the videos and pictures 'were seized from his phone' the prosecution was not able to state that Mr McCourt had recorded them. Det Gda McCartan said he and his team had 'a serious concern' in late June and early July 2024 that the gang would import another load of weapons and sell them on. The court heard gardaí commenced a surveillance operation and obtained warrants for a shed and lands at Blackstaff, Ardee Co Louth. McCourt and another member of the gang were arrested when Bureau detectives and armed officers from the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU) raided the premises on 19 July 2024. The 82 firearms parts were found 'all in the one suitcase' in the shed, along with nearly 900 rounds of pistol and rifle ammunition found in a Dunnes Stores bag on a sofa there, the witness said. Det Insp McCartan told the court the defendant has some 42 previous convictions including assault causing harm, theft, and dangerous driving 'on the high end'. He said McCourt and was jailed for three years, with 18 months suspended, on foot of a conviction for a criminal damage incident in which he had gone to the home address of an off-duty garda at 2.55am and 'rammed' her car. He agreed with Mr Grehan that this period of offending was when the McCourt was aged between 19 and 22. Mr Grehan presented the court with letters from local businesses which had used his client as a plumbing subcontractor and stated that they found him 'courteous and professional'. He said his client was the father of two children, and that his fiancée and her mother were 'standing by him'. Asking for 'the maximum mitigation allowable', Mr Grehan said he had been 'asked to tender an apology on his behalf to the court and the State for getting involved in these matters, and also to his family and the shame he's brought to them for this'. The State is to make further submissions on the gravity of the offending when the case is heard again on Thursday. However, Ms Justice Karen O'Connor, presiding, said the court would not be in a position to finalise sentence until a later date.
