BACKGROUND:DUBLIN'S SHERIFF Street gangland feud began when Christie Griffin, the head of a major organised crime gang in Dublin's north inner city, was accused of repeatedly raping a young girl over an eight-year period.
When the allegations surfaced back in 2003 they caused a split in Griffin’s drugs and armed robbery gang. One side of the large crime syndicate remained loyal to their leader while another group, including Saturday’s murder victim Aiden Byrne, believed the victim’s allegations and turned against Griffin. When gangland criminals fall out the results are usually catastrophic and this gang war has proven no different.
In October 2005 shots were fired into Griffin’s home in Ridgewood Green, Swords – where he had moved from Cannon Lillis Avenue, Dublin – wounding him in the arm. In revenge the home of the woman raped by Griffin was shot at.
In November 2006, a hand grenade was thrown into Griffin’s house, exploding. Another was then thrown into a relative’s house but it failed to go off.
In December 2006, as Griffin’s trial for rape approached, the feud tensions were at an all-time high resulting in two murders.
Gerard Batt-Byrne (25) of Ferryman’s Crossing, Dublin, was shot dead in the IFSC on December 13th. He was a rival of Griffin’s and a first cousin of Aiden Byrne.
Two weeks later a gunman crept into a house on Oriel Street and shot Stephen Ledden (28) in the head as he lay on a sofa. He was shot by mistake by a killer targeting another man thought to be behind Batt-Byrne’s murder.
In January 2007, Griffin was convicted of rape and jailed for life but the feud violence continued.
In April 2008, Anthony Russell (30), Cromcastle Drive, Kilmore, was gunned down as he sat drinking with friends in the Ardlea Inn, Artane. Russell was close to Griffin and was believed to have been involved in the killing of Gerard Batt-Byrne.
Gardaí last year foiled a murder attempt linked to the feud and a number of men await trial in relation to that incident.
Some of those involved in the feud have threatened to kill gardaí in the past. That threat was made in the wake of the shooting dead by members of the force of two raiders in an attempted post office robbery in Lusk, Co Dublin, in May 2005.
One of those killed was Colm Griffin, a brother of Christie Griffin.
The threat to kill gardaí was taken so seriously that Garda witnesses at the inquest into the deaths of the two shot in Lusk were allowed to give evidence from behind a screen. In an unprecedented move, airport-style security was put in place at Dublin’s Coroner’s Court and armed gardaí were stationed on the roof.
