News

Davison murder weapon widened to cross border probe

PACEMAKER BELFAST.STRICT EMBARGO - 10PM TUESDAY 26 MAY 2015..Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating the murder of Jock Davison say an unusual type of gun was used by the killer in the Markets area of Belfast earlier this month..47 year old Mr Davison was shot on Welsh Street as he walked to work at 9.09am on Tuesday 5 May. The gunman shot him from behind before standing over him and shooting him four times in the head..Appealing for information about the murder on the BBC Crimewatch programme this evening, Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes from Serious Crime Branch said: The weapon and bullets used were an Eastern European type called Makarov. These 9mm bullets are unusual in as much as they will not work in most types of Western handgun. They are a slightly different size and can only be fired using a Makarov type gun.This type of weapon and ammunition are extremely rare in Northern Ireland. We have a photo of a Makarov type 9mm handgun which we are issuing. Someone knows about this weapon and its ammunition. We need people with information to come forward on the non-emergency police number 101.The gunman is described by witnesses as being about five ft six ins tall and was wearing a dark hooded rain jacket. He made his escape from the scene up an alleyway towards Stanfield Place. We need to know where he went next. We are also issuing a photo of a similar type jacket in the hope this may jog someone's memory.We also believe the gunman may have been in the area some time before the shooting. A man fitting a similar description was seen standing at the junction of Welsh Street and McAuley Street at around 8.40am. A similar man was also seen with a red and white carrier bag, holding it with two hands on Welsh Street. They may be different people and they may be innocent members of the public. Either way, we need them to come forward so that they can be ruled out of our enquiries.Although the Markets is a residential area, it is very close to the city centre of Belfast and many people park cars there before walking to work. I would appeal again to anyone who parked a car in the Markets between 8-9am on Tuesday 5 May and then walked to work to contact detectives.  We are appealing for anyone who has any information about the murder, or who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area in the days and weeks leading up to the murder to contact us. We need to get this gun off the streets, and apprehend the killer. .
PACEMAKER BELFAST.STRICT EMBARGO - 10PM TUESDAY 26 MAY 2015..Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating the murder of Jock Davison say an unusual type of gun was used by the killer in the Markets area of Belfast earlier this month..47 year PACEMAKER BELFAST.STRICT EMBARGO - 10PM TUESDAY 26 MAY 2015..Detectives from Serious Crime Branch investigating the murder of Jock Davison say an unusual type of gun was used by the killer in the Markets area of Belfast earlier this month..47 year old Mr Davison was shot on Welsh Street as he walked to work at 9.09am on Tuesday 5 May. The gunman shot him from behind before standing over him and shooting him four times in the head..Appealing for information about the murder on the BBC Crimewatch programme this evening, Detective Superintendent Kevin Geddes from Serious Crime Branch said: The weapon and bullets used were an Eastern European type called Makarov. These 9mm bullets are unusual in as much as they will not work in most types of Western handgun. They are a slightly different size and can only be fired using a Makarov type gun.This type of weapon and ammunition are extremely rare in Northern Ireland. We have a photo of a Makarov type 9mm handgun which we are issuing. Someone knows about this weapon and its ammunition. We need people with information to come forward on the non-emergency police number 101.The gunman is described by witnesses as being about five ft six ins tall and was wearing a dark hooded rain jacket. He made his escape from the scene up an alleyway towards Stanfield Place. We need to know where he went next. We are also issuing a photo of a similar type jacket in the hope this may jog someone's memory.We also believe the gunman may have been in the area some time before the shooting. A man fitting a similar description was seen standing at the junction of Welsh Street and McAuley Street at around 8.40am. A similar man was also seen with a red and white carrier bag, holding it with two hands on Welsh Street. They may be different people and they may be innocent members of the public. Either way, we need them to come forward so that they can be ruled out of our enquiries.Although the Markets is a residential area, it is very close to the city centre of Belfast and many people park cars there before walking to work. I would appeal again to anyone who parked a car in the Markets between 8-9am on Tuesday 5 May and then walked to work to contact detectives.  We are appealing for anyone who has any information about the murder, or who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area in the days and weeks leading up to the murder to contact us. We need to get this gun off the streets, and apprehend the killer. .

THE gun used in the murder of former IRA commander Gerard 'Jock' Davison was part of a shipment smuggled into Dublin by an international crime gang, police have revealed.

The senior detective leading the murder investigation told the Irish News that police are following a definite line of enquiry regarding the weapon used in the attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Justyn Galloway said PSNI had joined forces with An Garda Siochana in a bid to trace the rare Marakov handgun used in the murder.

Davison (47) was shot dead as he walked to work at a community centre at Welsh Street in the Markets area of south Belfast on May 5.

Police ruled out dissident republican or loyalist involvement in the attack. It is believed that the murder may have been a grudge killing linked to Davison's IRA past.

Last month the murder featured as part of a BBC Crimewatch appeal which police said got "a decent response".

Mr Galloway, who revealed between 40 to 60 detectives were working on the case, said: "The weapon is relatively unusual for Northern Ireland.

"They are more common in Dublin, so that's a definite line of enquiry. We are as a result working with gardaí on that, " he said.

The development came as it also emerged that the murder of Davison led to the collapse of a major IRA membership trial, after one key witnesses said they "no longer had an appetite for the case to proceed".

The prosecution were forced to offer no evidence in the case against senior republicans Padraic Wilson and Sean Hughes after a number of witnesses withdrew their evidence.

Yesterday, Barra McGrory, director of the Public Prosecution Service, insisted he did not accept "that there was anything the PPS could have done which it didn't do in the prosecution of the case"...

He said it was "regrettable" that the case had collapsed "after the murder of an individual".

"One of the withdrawal statements made clear that the murder of Jock Davison was a factor in no longer having an appetite to proceed," Mr McGrory told the Stormont justice committee.

Hughes, of Aghadavoyle Road, Jonesborough, Co Armagh, and Wilson, of Hamill Park, Belfast, were facing charges including IRA membership and addressing meetings to encourage support for the IRA.

The meetings were alleged to have been part of an internal IRA investigation into the murder of father-of-two Robert McCartney, who was killed by IRA members outside a Belfast bar.

Robert McCartney's sisters were identified yesterday as witnesses in the case which collapsed last week, after reporting restrictions were lifted.