Cocaine Wars (11 page)

In May 2003, Rattigan was jailed for six years for the heroin that was found in his sock at his home. It meant that he could serve as little as four years. This news brought great relief among Gardaí across South Dublin, but there was disappointment that the mandatory ten-year sentencing guideline had been ignored. However, there was a further boost to come. Within two months of Declan Gavin's murder, a complex Garda investigation file, which ran to six volumes, had been sent to the DPP. Following the submission of follow-up statements from expert witnesses and technical experts, and after other preliminary files had been received, as requested by the DPP, directions were finally given to charge Brian Rattigan with the murder. On 18 September 2003, Detective Sergeant Joe O'Hara and lead investigator Detective Inspector Tom Mulligan charged Brian Rattigan. He was arrested in Mountjoy Prison. He was then transported to Court 46 at Dublin District Court. The court heard that he replied, ‘No, dirty f***ing rat', when he was charged. He was remanded in custody back to Mountjoy Prison.

In February 2004, Rattigan pleaded guilty to the two charges in relation to the Bluebell incident the previous year. Rattigan's Senior Counsel, Brendan Grehan, told Judge Joseph Matthews at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that his client had been the victim of a shooting in March 2002, and that his brother had also been murdered that same year. He told Judge Matthews that he could not give him any more details about the two previous incidents, in case Rattigan was part of ‘a horrible scenario where he is walking around with a gun because he is expecting to have his head blown off'. He also said there may be future legal cases against his client. Grehan said that despite the fact that Brian Rattigan pulled his gun on Garda Matthews, ‘he did not take the ultimate step of pulling the trigger'. He added that it later emerged that Rattigan's gun was empty when he cocked it, and the court should not speculate as to whether or not he would have fired it, had it been loaded. Brian Rattigan received a four-and-a-half-year sentence in relation to the incident, although the DPP later unsuccessfully appealed the leniency. This was to run consecutively with the six-year term Rattigan had been handed for possession of the
€
27,000 of heroin the previous year. This meant that Brian Rattigan would be in prison for a minimum of seven years, which was a massive personal blow, as well as a serious body blow to his gang. Although he was off the streets, however, Rattigan's power was not diminished, and he soon showed that he was able to control his side, even from behind prison bars.

A young-looking Brian Rattigan with his partner Natasha McEnroe. Rattigan is currently serving a life sentence in Portlaoise Prison.

Joseph ‘Joey' Redmond is serving an eight-year jail sentence for shooting at a Garda car. He is one of Brian Rattigan's closest associates.

Eddie Redmond was a key member of the Rattigan gang.

Shay O'Byrne, Sharon Rattigan's long-term partner. He was shot dead outside their home in Tallaght in March 2009.

Rattigan's ‘enforcer', Anthony Cannon, was shot dead in Ballyfermot in July 2009.

Eddie Rice was the driver of the car that was ambushed prior to Noel Roche's murder in November 2005.

Shane Maloney, a key Rattigan ally, is serving a ten-year jail sentence for possessing €1.2 million worth of heroin.

Wayne McNally, one of Brian Rattigan's most senior gang members.

Wayne Zambra was shot dead on Cameron Street in 2006.

Hitman-for-hire Gary Bryan is suspected of carrying out at least two murders. He was shot dead in September 2006.

Graham Whelan was jailed for six years after the Holiday Inn drugs seizure that kicked off the feud. He is now one of the most senior figures in the Thompson gang.

Ritchie Rattigan, Brian's older brother.

David Roche (left) received an eight-year prison sentence for shooting at Gardaí. His brothers John (centre) and Noel (right) were leading members of the Rattigan gang. The pair were murdered within eight months of each other in 2005.