Derek Dunne (Irish criminal)

Last updated

Derek "Maradonna" Dunne was a former League of Ireland soccer player turned drug dealer. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

He grew up in Grenville Street, off Hill Street on the northside of Dublin in an area badly affected by heroin addiction. [3]

As a teenager he played for Belvedere F.C., then moved to St Patrick's Athletic F.C. for four years as well as Dublin Bus. [3] While playing for the latter teams he began selling heroin. [3] When officials at Dublin Bus heard allegations that he was dealing drugs, he was dropped by them. [3] A former manager at St Pat's was surprised at the allegations as Dunne had applied himself to soccer very well. [3]

Criminal career

In 1994 the North Central Divisional Drug Squad targeted him and a number of his close associates in an operation codenamed "Family Tree". [3] He was questioned several times but never charged. [3]

In 1995 he attacked and seriously assaulted a nephew of Gerry "the Monk" Hutch, leaving him in a coma and putting Dunne under a sentence of death. [3] [1] Dunne paid £200,000 to the Monk to have the contract annulled. [1] He then set up a permanent base in Liverpool. [3]

In January 1996 he was arrested by police in Manchester following a joint operation with Gardaí and charged with conspiracy to smuggle heroin into Ireland. [3] The initial trial collapsed over publicity involving the murder of Veronica Guerin and the second trial found him not guilty. [3]

Private life

He was in a long-term relationship with the daughter of George Mitchell and they had a daughter. [3]

Death

He was found outside his apartment in Amsterdam lying dead on the ground by Dutch police. [2] He was 33. [2] [3] An Englishman was found seriously wounded and a Dutch man in handcuffs was found with a minor injury. [4] The Dutchman was an associate of Dunne's who was forced to help the Englishman and a Yugoslav find Dunne's home. [4] Dunne's girlfriend answered the door to them. [4] The newcomers had come to Dunne about a debt owned to the Yugoslav. [4] Shots were exchanged between the newcomers and Dunne in which the latter was fatally injured. [4]

A man from the former Yugoslavia confessed to shooting Derek Dunne, claiming self defence. [5] Dunne had been approached for debts because three English associates of Dunne owed debts to the Yugoslav and Dunne was asked to honour the debt. [5] Dunne had reacted angrily to their arrival, ordered them to leave and a gun battle broke out. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veronica Guerin</span> Irish crime reporter

Veronica Guerin Turley was an Irish investigative journalist focusing on organised crime in the Republic of Ireland, who was murdered in a contract killing believed to have been ordered by a South Dublin-based drug cartel. Born in Dublin, she was an athlete in school and later played on the Irish national teams for both Association football and basketball. After studying accountancy she ran a public-relations firm for seven years, before working for Fianna Fáil and as an election agent for Seán Haughey. She became a reporter in 1990, writing for the Sunday Business Post and Sunday Tribune. In 1994 she began writing articles about the Irish criminal underworld for the Sunday Independent. In 1996, after pressing charges for assault against major organised crime figure John Gilligan, Guerin was ambushed and fatally shot in her vehicle while waiting at a traffic light. The shooting caused national outrage in Ireland. Investigation into her death led to a number of arrests and convictions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Gregory</span> Irish non-party politician (1947–2009)

Tony Gregory was an Irish independent politician, and a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin Central constituency from 1982 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Cahill</span> Irish mob boss

Martin Cahill was an Irish crime boss from Dublin. He masterminded a series of burglaries and armed robberies, and was shot and killed while out on bail for kidnapping charges. The Provisional Irish Republican Army took responsibility for Cahill's murder but no one was ever arrested or formally charged.

Gerard Hutch is an Irish criminal. He was the prime suspect for two of the biggest armed robberies in Irish history. Known for leading a "disciplined, ascetic lifestyle" since leaving prison in 1985, he was nicknamed "The Monk" by investigative journalist Veronica Guerin. Hutch is also the leader of the organized crime group the Hutch Gang, and was charged but acquitted of the murder of David Byrne.

The Irish Mob is a usually crime family–based ethnic collective of organized crime syndicates composed of primarily ethnic Irish members which operate primarily in Ireland, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, and have been in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish-American street gangs – famously first depicted in Herbert Asbury's 1927 book, The Gangs of New York – the Irish Mob has appeared in most major U.S. and Canadian cities, especially in the Northeast and the urban industrial Midwest, including Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Chicago.

The Serbian mafia, or Serbian organized crime, are various criminal organizations based in Serbia or composed of ethnic Serbs in the former Yugoslavia and Serbian diaspora. The organizations are primarily involved in smuggling, arms trafficking, drug trafficking, human trafficking, assassinations, heists, assault, protection rackets, murder, money laundering and illegal gambling. Ethnic Serb organized crime groups are organized horizontally; higher-ranked members are not necessarily coordinated by any leader. According to criminologists and law enforcement authorities, the Serbian mafia is the most powerful in Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bluebell United F.C.</span> Football club

Bluebell United Football Club is an Irish association football club originally based in Bluebell, Dublin. The club's senior team plays in the Leinster Senior League Senior Division. The club has also fielded teams to compete in the FAI Cup, the FAI Intermediate Cup and the Leinster Senior Cup. Founded in 1946 in the Camac Park district of Bluebell, the club later relocated to its current home near Clondalkin. In 2014–15, Bluebell were Leinster Senior League champions, 27 years after winning their previous title. Bluebell United would go onto retain the title again in the following 2015–16 season.

Ah Kong was an organised crime and drugs syndicate that used to extensively control the European heroin trade in the 1970s to 1990s. Originating from Singapore, it was one of the world's largest drug syndicates, having been mainly based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Bangkok, Thailand, where they received their drug supplies. The production of heroin was at an area known as the Golden Triangle formed by Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. Ah Kong was not a triad but a fearsome organized crime gang that was renowned all over Asia and Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Illicit drug use in Ireland</span>

Illicit drug use in Ireland & Northern Ireland has been growing since the mid-1970s. The use by young people of psychedelic drugs, including LSD and cannabis, was recognized at that time. Opiate abuse was uncommon until the 1980s, following events in the opium production centres of Afghanistan and Iran. Government task forces and private programmes were formed to tackle increased opiate abuse. Dublin and Ballymena have been centres of increased heroin use and preventative efforts. Studies confirmed significant opiate use in the 1990s, when action to reduce harm caused by drug use became favoured. Programmes focused on controlling the spread of HIV, seen as a greater social threat than drug abuse itself.

James Curran was the victim of a politically charged murder conspiracy in Ireland.

Eamon Kelly was a high-profile Irish convicted drug trafficker and former crime leader.

Martin Hyland was a major Irish criminal and gang boss.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christy Kinahan</span> Irish criminal

Christopher Vincent Kinahan, Sr. ; is an Irish drug trafficker with convictions for ecstasy and heroin smuggling. He is the alleged leader of the Kinahan Organised Crime Group, which he runs with his two sons.

The Hutch–Kinahan feud is a major ongoing feud between two criminal organisations in Ireland that has resulted in the deaths of eighteen people, the majority of which have been perpetrated by the Kinahan family. The Hutch gang, led by Gerry Hutch, and the Kinahan Family, led by Daniel Kinahan, are the main participants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 FAI Cup final</span> Football match

The 1952 FAI Cup Final was the final match of the 1951–52 FAI Cup, a knock-out association football competition contested annually by clubs affiliated with the Football Association of Ireland. It took place on Sunday 20 April 1952 at Dalymount Park in Dublin, and was contested by Cork Athletic and Dundalk. The match finished 1–1, sending the final to a replay the following Wednesday 23 April 1952. Dundalk won the replay 3–0 to win their third FAI Cup.

Larry Dunne was an Irish organised crime boss and drug dealer. He was held responsible for introducing heroin into Dublin in the 1970s.

Anthony Felloni was an Irish heroin dealer, pimp, and career criminal. He became a hated figure in the 1980s and 1990s, blamed for "flooding" Dublin with heroin and creating the city's first generation of heroin addicts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinahan Organised Crime Group</span> Irish criminal organisation

The Kinahan Organised Crime Group (KOCG), also known as the Kinahan Cartel, is a major Irish transnational organised crime syndicate alleged to be the most powerful in Ireland and one of the largest organised crime groups in the world. It is also established in the UK, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates. It was founded by Christy Kinahan in the 1990s. His eldest son Daniel manages the day-to-day operations of the family's criminal group. Estimated reports have credited them with wealth of up to €1 billion.

Sinéad Kelly was an Irish prostitute who was murdered in an alleged contract killing in Dublin city on 22 June 1998. As of 2024, her murder remains unsolved.

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has involved in a number of criminal allegations and incidents since becoming established in Manitoba in 2000.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Sweeney, John; MacDonald, Henry (11 June 2000). "Death of the toxic heroin wholesaler". The Observer . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "Drug dealer murdered in Amsterdam". BBC News. 3 June 2000. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Dillon, Fiona (5 June 2000). "So-called golden boy who made a filthy fortune from death and misery". Irish Independent . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Sweeney, Conor (4 June 2000). "Row over debt led to killing of Irishman in Amsterdam". Sunday Independent . Retrieved 23 June 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Conway, Isabel (25 July 2000). "Man admits shooting drug dealer Dunne". Irish Independent . Retrieved 24 June 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.