Tag Archives: Mark Hennessy

Mark Hennessy (top) and the scene of his fatal shooting in Cherrywood, County Dublinin May, 2018

This afternoon.

Via RTÉ:

James Magee  [a Civil Defence volunteer] told the inquest how he followed Hennessy’s car into a car park at the Cherrywood Industrial Estate near Shankill in Dublin.

Mr Magee said he saw that when Mark Hennessy stopped his car, he had his hands on the steering wheel and he made a shrugging gesture as garda cars pulled up in the car park.

He said he saw a box cutter or Stanley knife in Mark Hennessy’s hand, and looked away as he thought Hennessy was going to harm himself with the knife. When he looked back, Hennessy was harming himself.

He saw a plain clothes garda approach the car and draw his revolver. He saw Mark Hennessy appearing to reach down into the passenger footwell for something and then the garda firing a shot through the passenger window.

He then heard a garda say “urgent, assistance required, shot fired by garda” and saw a garda break the driver’s window of Mark Hennessy’s car with a baton.

Meanwhile..

The inquest at Dublin Coroner’s Court also heard from Christina Connelly, who saw the Nissan Qashqai as she was driving home from work that Sunday evening.

…She told the dispatcher there were two men in the front of the car wearing baseball caps. She followed the car to the Cherrywood Industrial Estate and very soon afterward a marked Civil Defence vehicle and two unmarked garda cars arrived.

Inquest told how garda shot Jastine Valdez’s killer (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Previously: Jastine Valdez on Broadsheet

Mark Hennessy

Via Paul Reynolds of RTÉ News:

The garda who shot dead the man who abducted and killed Jastine Valdez last year will not face criminal charges.

Mark Hennessy kidnapped and murdered the 24-year-old student as she walked to her home in Co Wicklow in May last year.

He then dumped her body off Puck’s Castle Lane in south county Dublin.

The case was investigated by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission.

A file was sent to the DPP, who has decided the garda was not to be prosecuted.

Garda who shot Jastine Valdez’s killer Mark Hennessy will not face charges (Paul Reynolds, RTÉ)

Previously: Proportional Response

From top: Mark Hennessy and the scene of his fatal shooting in Cherrywood, County Dublin on Sunday

Via Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission:

An investigation by GSOC into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old man at Cherrywood Business Park, Co Dublin on Sunday last is ongoing. Following the post mortem, and the issuing of the required notifications of the GSOC investigation to the relevant parties, GSOC can confirm the following:

The incident was referred to GSOC under section 102 (1) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended (“the 2005 Act”) at 20.43 on Sunday 20 May. Section 102 (1) requires the Garda Commissioner to refer to GSOC “any matter that appears to the Garda Commissioner to indicate that the conduct of a member of the Garda Síochána may have resulted in the death of, or serious harm to, a person”.

A team of GSOC investigators from Cork were at the scene from 23.50.

A garda service weapon was recovered from the scene by GSOC. The remaining ammunition and one spent cartridge was located in the firearm. A Stanley knife was subsequently recovered from the vehicle, the Nissan Qashqai, which had been the subject of a garda alert in the preceding hours.

A post mortem on Monday 21 May established that the man identified as Mark Hennessy had been shot in the shoulder, and that the bullet entered his torso causing fatal injuries. The deceased was in the driver’s seat at the time of the shooting. Other wounds consistent with self-harming were noted on his body.

GSOC investigators are in the process of collecting evidence including video footage of the incident. In particular GSOC is in possession of a recording from the ANPR camera of the Garda traffic car which was at the scene. CCTV recordings from premises in the vicinity have been provided to GSOC investigators. Witnesses are being identified and contacted in the ordinary way.

Following a preliminary examination of the incident under s. 91 of the 2005 Act, GSOC is now undertaking an investigation under s. 98 of the 2005 Act, , which is for incidents that appear to involve offences. Under the provisions of s. 98 of the 2005 Act GSOC investigations have, for the purposes of the investigation, all the powers, immunities and privileges and duties imposed on members of the Garda Síochána.

GSOC has appointed a family liaison officer (FLO) to engage with the family of the deceased man.

A statement from GSOC last night into the fatal  shooting of Mark Hennessy (top), a suspect in the murder of student Jastine Valdez.

Fatal shooting at Cherrywood Co Dublin on Sunday 20 May 2018 (GSOC)

Previously: Mark Hennessy on Broadsheet

Pics: YouTube/Press Association

This afternoon.

Puck’s Castle, Rathmichael, County Dublin,

Members of the Gardai forensic unit near where the body of a female was discovered. She has  not been formally identified, but was found as part of the search for 24 year old Jastine Valdez who was abducted near Enniskerry in County Wicklow on Saturday evening.

Eamonn Farrell.Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

Specialist forensic tests on the note found in the car driven by the suspected killer Mark Hennessy are continuing today, but it has been established that the note also expressed remorse. The note contained the words “Puck’s Castle” and “Sorry”.

Note pointed to Rathmichael in search for Jastine Valdez (RTÉ)

Earlier: On The Street Where he Lived

Mark Hennessy

The construction worker, a married man and father of two young children, had made a home for himself and his family on Woodbrook Lawn, Bray, Co Wicklow, for around three years.

But he’d made little effort to establish himself in the neighbourhood, lined with neatly trimmed bushes and mowed lawns.

“He was known as a weirdo,” one neighbour said. “You’d say hello to him and he’d ignore you, he wouldn’t answer you back or even look in your direction.”

“He used to go into local bookies a lot,” said one local man in Bray. “But he didn’t socialise round here. If he was a construction worker, he didn’t bother with others in his industry round here.

“He was an evil man who didn’t let anyone know who he was.”

Videos give glimpse into life of ‘weirdo’ who ‘ignored neighbours (Independent.ie)

Alternatively….

A surprised resident described Mark as “very, very quiet” and as “a terrible nice man”.

She said: “He is only in the area a couple years. He had two little girls. I am on my own and he was the only one who came in to check on me when the real bad snow hit.

“He knocked in several times and asked if I was OK and if I needed anything from the shop.

“He was a really nice neighbour. When he moved in, he couldn’t have been nicer. He asked me would I hold his key for him in case anything ­happened, if the alarm went off or anything like that. His wife was always around, out walking. She is a really nice girl. He was very, very quiet. A terrible nice man.”

Asked if she could ever have imagined her neighbour would be caught up in such events, she replied: “No, I couldn’t believe it when I heard it.”

Another Woodbrook Lawn resident never had any concerns about ­Hennessy either.

She said: “I didn’t really know him. He kept to himself mostly. When I heard the name I didn’t even realise he lived just a few doors away. He was very polite, kept to himself, and there was never any indication of any trouble or anything like that.”

Evil murderer Mark Hennessy called family to say ‘I’m not coming back’ (Irish Sun)

Last Night: In Rathmichael