| Robbie Lawlor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dublin |
| Died | Etna Drive, Ardoyne, north Belfast |
| Cause of death | Gunshot Wounds |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Citizenship | Irish |
Robbie Lawlor (died 4 April 2020) was an Irish criminal. He was originally from Dublin, but had lived in County Meath and was heavily involved in organised crime, including the Drogheda feud. In November 2022, Lawlor was named in court documents submitted by the Criminal Assets Bureau as the gunman who shot Owen Maguire six times during a 2018 assassination attempt in Drogheda.
He was well known to Gardaí for being involved in serious and organised crime. He was a suspect in the murders of Kenneth Finn and David Lynch among other crimes. He had over 100 convictions and had been released from prison in December 2019. He had been warned by Gardaí that his life was in danger before he went to Belfast.
Mugging
He was mugged after leaving a gym in December 2019, which was filmed by his assailants, suspected to include Keane Mulready-Woods, a teenager involved with the rival gang who would be subsequently lured to his death which was suspected to have been ordered at the hands of Lawlor. During this daylight assault on Lawlor, the assailants stole his gym bag and flip-flops and posted photos of them wearing the latter after the mugging. The assault was allegedly at the behest of a criminal foe of Lawlor. In ruthless revenge, Mulready-Woods' head and hands were severed from the body, and bags with body parts left in rival turfs in holdalls. The presence of flip-flops in the bag with Mulready-Woods' remains dumped in Coolock was widely interpreted as a threat not to cross Lawlor.
Death
On 4 April 2020, he was shot around 11:50am outside a house in Etna Drive, Ardoyne in north Belfast. The PSNI and Garda Síochána believe he had travelled to Belfast in the hours before he was shot, possibly to collect debts. As well as being a suspect in the death of Keane Mulready-Woods he was suspected of being responsible for a number of other killings. He had been threatened by one faction in the Drogheda feud but was also at odds with a major Dublin criminal who is suspected of several murders including that of Alan Ryan. Three men suspected of the murder were arrested and questioned by the PSNI at Musgrave police station. Three suspects were arrested on April 4, a fourth was arrested on April 5.
The shooting was condemned by Detective Sergeant Jason Murphy, as a murder, as a danger to the local community and due to the additional pressures caused by coronavirus pandemic. The shooting was also condemned by Minister for Justice Naomi Long and Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly. The PSNI suspect that a single gunman shot Lawlor.
Charges brought
In December 2020 two men, one from Derry and one from Belfast, were charged with his murder. Both were also charged with possession of a 9mm pistol with intent to endanger life. They appeared via videolink and spoke only to confirm that they understood the charges. They were remanded in custody, to appear before the court by videolink again on 8 January 2021.
References
- ^ Lally, Conor; Ferguson, Amanda (4 April 2020). "Man shot dead in Belfast was suspect in Keane Mulready-Woods murder". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Halpin, Hayley (4 April 2020). "Man shot dead outside house in Belfast was suspect in Mulready-Woods case". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Reynolds, Paul (4 April 2020). "Man shot in Belfast was suspect in Mulready-Woods murder case". RTÉ News. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- "Top cop names slain gangster Robbie Lawlor as hitman who left mob boss Owen Maguire paralysed". Sunday World. 3 November 2022.
- ^ Reynolds, Paul (5 April 2020). "Teenager among those being questioned over murder of Dublin criminal". RTE News. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ Carroll, Rory; McDonald, Henry (10 April 2020). "Police fear gangland feud from Irish Republic now being fought in Belfast". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Robbie Lawlor: 'Single gunman' murdered Dublin man in Ardoyne". BBC News. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Two men charged with the murder of Dublin criminal Robbie Lawlor appear in court". TheJournal.ie. Press Association. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Two men charged over Robbie Lawlor murder in Belfast". RTÉ News. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
- ^ "Robert Lawlor: Two men charged with Belfast murder". BBC News. 11 December 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2020.