Crime Special: Anti-social behaviour on the rise in Lucan

By Brendan Grehan

DESPITE TWO recent murders the most persistent crime problem in Lucan has been the rise in low-level anti-social behaviour. It could be teenagers repeatedly kicking a football at your car or windows or a wheelie bin being set on fire.

Some people don’t actually consider it to be criminal but it can make life hell for the victims of such behaviour.

Lucan was last in the crime headlines on January 18 last when Neil Reilly (36) was killed at Esker Glebe. His death followed a shooting incident in the Liscarne Gardens area of Clondalkin which happened shortly beforehand, though no one was injured.

A number of cars left the scene and rammed Reilly’s car. He was then beaten, run over with a car and stabbed.

At the end of January, a father, his two sons and a teenager were charged with the murder of Mr Reilly.

Paul Bradley (52) and his sons Dean (22) and Jason Bradley (18) from Liscarne Gardens, Ronanstown, along with another youth aged 17, were charged with the murder of Mr Reilly, a father-of-two at The Glebe, Esker, Lucan on January 18 last.

All four are currently before the courts.

On the night of December 2 last, Mark Desmond (41) was shot dead in the Griffeen Valley Park area of Lucan.

Desmond, originally from Lally Road in Ballyfermot, was shot up to four times in the head during the gangland gun attack.

It is understood a gunman approached Desmond on the Griffin Glen Park Road, before chasing him into an adjacent park and shooting him.

Desmond was suspected of murdering two young men and dumping their bodies in the Grand Canal in 2000.

Patrick Murray and Darren Carey were shot in drug-related killings and their bodies dumped in the Grand Canal at Karneystown, Co Kildare, between December 19, 1999, and January 10, 2000.

A burnt-out Mazda car was found near the scene and a handgun – possibly the murder weapon – was recovered from the vehicle. In 2002, the murder charges were dropped by the Director for Public Prosecutions when a key prosecution witness, Rachel Stephens, retracted her statement implicating Desmond in the murders.

He was sentenced to eight years on a charge of unlawful possession of firearms with intent to endanger life in relation to the murders.

But the Court of Criminal Appeal later overturned Desmond’s conviction and sentence.

Before his death Desmond had been living in Co Sligo.

From talking to local people and politicians and monitoring local social media forums, it is clear that Lucan’s biggest crime problem is with an increase in anti-social behaviour.

Whether it is illegal drinking in open spaces or “public lighting being damaged”, these sort of incidents can have a very negative effect on the lives of local residents.

Local politician William Lavelle believes that anti-social behaviour is the biggest problem facing Lucan at the moment.

He said: “There has been a definite increase in anti-social behaviour in the Lucan area. It can range from wheelies bins being set on fire to more reports of stones being thrown at people’s windows. Then there are incidents of public lighting being damaged. Lucan does have one of the fastest growing population of teenagers in Ireland.”

Councillor Lavelle says that South Dublin Council are due to start a consultation over facilities for teenagers across the county.

He added: “During the summer the Garda Siochana will also be rolling out ‘Operation Irene’ which will target anti-social behaviour in parks. Anti-social behaviour is something that we all need to tackle.”