Court hears gardai in Limerick fear "bloody feud" after shooting

Keith Lillis, (23), with an address at Galvone Road, Kennedy Park, was refused bail after gardai expressed fears the shooting would lead to “a bloody feud between two factions with the potential for injury or loss of life”

Keith Lillis being escorted into Limerick court this evening. Picture Liam Burke

Mr Lillis was charged with one count of possessing a sawn-off shotgun, at Glavone Road, Kennedy Park, last Tuesday.

Detective Garda John Keane, Roxboro Road, alleged, that after driving a gold coloured Suzuki Vitara into the rear of houses at Maple Court, Kennedy Park, the victim, named in court as “Terry Casey”, accompanied by two others, including “a juvenile”, “sustained at least one gunshot would to his stomach and another wound to his left shoulder”.

The juvenile “sustained an injury to his right hip” during the shooting, and the parties fled from the area “on foot”, Det Keane said.

Gardai discovered the Suzuki partially burnt out at the scene, the court heard.

Mr Casey, who is a resident at Clonglong halting site, Limerick, remains in hospital with “serious but non life-threatening” injuries, gardai said.

Det Keane said gardai arrested Mr Lillis about an hour and a half after the gun attack with “a loaded sawn off shotgun” on his person, as he walked towards his home.

He further alleged that, when gardai approached Mr Lillis, he “dropped a sawn-off shotgun which he had concealed in his clothes”.

Det Keane alleged the gun was loaded with two live rounds and “ready for use” and that a “shotgun cartridge” was found by gardai in one of the accused’s pockets.

Det Keane said he believed if Mr Lillis was granted bail he would commit further alleged offences; that he would flee the jurisdiction and not stand trial.

He said gardai had “serious concerns” the shooting “has the propensity to lead to other serious incidents.”

Det Keane agreed under cross examination from Mr Lillis’s solicitor that the accused had alleged in garda interviews that he was “having a smoke on a roof” when the shooting occurred, and that he was “in fear” after claiming he had been forced by unnamed parties to take the gun.

Mr Lillis’s solicitor applied to the court to impose reporting restrictions as she had “serious safety concerns” for her client.

Judge Marian O’Leary said she could not make such an order.

She remanded Mr Lillis in custody to appear before Limerick District Court again on July 18th.