Cocaine Wars by Mick McCaffrey Read Free Book Online

left of the door and 62" from the base of the window.
    Detective Garda Caroline Hughes from the Photography Section took photos of what would later be a key piece of evidence. The palm mark taken from the window was compared to Brian Rattigan’s palm and fingerprints, which were on record from when he had been previously arrested, and it was concluded that the palm mark was made from Rattigan’s left palm. Later, DNA analysis of the blood next to Rattigan’s finger mark was examined. It matched Declan Gavin’s DNA. No blood was taken from the finger mark, as Bureau personnel decided not to distort the finger mark characteristics, so that adequate comparative features would remain intact. This turned out to be a pivotal development and would later prove to be a crucial decision.
    It is believed that Brian Rattigan disposed of the murder weapon, his clothes and balaclava after leaving Abrakebabra. The movements of the four men in the Micra cannot be accounted for until they arrived back to the Kavanaghs’ house, ninety or so minutes later. Karl Kavanagh, Catherine Kavanagh, Ritchie Rattigan, Joey Rattigan, Mark O’Reilly and Greg Bourke were still in the house when the four men returned. John Roche, Joey and Brian Rattigan discussed Declan Gavin’s stabbing while they continued to drink. A radio bulletin came on at 7.00 a.m. – broadcasting news of a stabbing at Abrakebabra in Crumlin. Some of those present laughed and cheered at the news. After a while, Brian Rattigan told Shane Maloney to ‘get rid’ of the car in order to eliminate any forensic evidence. According to a statement later given to Gardaí, Maloney drove the Micra to the Texaco garage at the Cranley Centre on the Naas Road with another man. The other man bought a bottle of orange, emptied it and filled it with petrol. The car was then driven to Cookstown Industrial Estate, where it was partially burnt out. Shane Maloney then received a phone call from Brian Rattigan warning him not to get a taxi back to Cooley Road.
    The party at the Kavanaghs’ broke up shortly afterwards, and the four men went into hiding anticipating that they would all be arrested. They were correct. They were all wanted men.
    At around 8.30 a.m. on the morning of Saturday 25 August 2001, a woman was walking through the field at the back of Cookstown Industrial Estate in Tallaght. She noticed smoke and saw a car on fire. A call was made to the fire brigade. She didn’t see anybody else around the car, which she described as a small, three-door vehicle. The car was on fire on the side of the road directly outside Paramount Freight. The Dublin Fire Brigade arrived and extinguished the blaze. When the flames were put out, it emerged that the car was a Nissan Micra, registration 93 D 38843. Gardaí arrived at the industrial estate at around 10.30 a.m., and Detective Garda Tony Tighe and Garda Gavin Ross preserved the scene. They were sure that the burnt-out car had something to do with the murder the night before. The vehicle was taken to a secure storage facility at Santry Garda Station that afternoon. The remains of burnt clothing and footwear were found in the boot. Two unidentified palm prints were taken from the front wing of the driver’s side of the car.
    Just hours after the killing, Gardaí had interviewed several witnesses. They knew that four men had been at the scene when the murder occurred, and that the men had left in a car. Officers quickly learned from confidential informants and other sources that these men were Brian Rattigan, Shane Maloney, Joey Redmond and John Roche. The main focus of the investigation switched to investigating the movements of the four men on the night of the murder. The fact that Shane Maloney’s Nissan Micra had been burnt out was a further indication that the men had something to do with Declan Gavin’s murder. After preliminary investigations, Gardaí learned of Joey Rattigan’s