Man charged with attempted murder of woman (30) in Dublin shooting

A man has been charged with attempted murder after a shooting left a Dublin mother with “catastrophic” and irreversible injuries.

Sinead Connolly (30) was shot in the hallway of her second floor flat at Bernard Curtis House, in Bluebell, in the south of the city, on March 6th last.

She remains in a critical condition in hospital.

Joseph Byrne (32) of La Touche Road, Bluebell, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at Dublin District Court on Tuesday . He was charged with attempted murder of the mother-of-one.

He faces an additional firearms charge for possessing a G9A Grand Power semi-automatic handgun, at Bluebell Road, with intent to enable another person to endanger life on the same date.

Detective Garda Colm Reynolds told Judge Kelly that Mr Byrne made no reply to the charges.

Detective Garda Reynolds told the court it was alleged Ms Connolly suffered “multiple gunshot wounds” and catastrophic injuries. Her young daughter was in the flat at the time.

A witness in her flat told gardai shots were fired through the kitchen door. It was alleged earlier Mr Byrne entered a nearby flat with a black handgun. He came out with a second male who was now carrying the gun.

The court heard they went to Ms Connolly’s home and the second man went in followed by Mr Byrne. Detective Garda Reynolds said when they exited Mr Byrne was helping the other man who was nursing an injury. The gun was left on the stairwell and picked up by a third man, the court was told.

Mr Byrne left the injured man sitting on a kerb at Bluebell Road and went to his home at La Touche Road to get his car, the court heard. He drove back and brought the injured man to St James’s Hospital , it was alleged. The injured man had been shot in the stomach.

The court heard after Mr Byrne handed himself in to gardaí on Monday he exercised his right to silence.

Detective Garda Reynolds said Ms Connolly suffered life threatening injuries to her upper body which were “unlikely to be reversible and will change her life from here on in”.

She remains in a critical condition but was a potential witness and will be questioned when she improves, the court heard. There was CCTV and phone evidence, the court heard.

Judge Kelly refused to grant bail on the gun charge while the District Court cannot grant bail for attempted murder.

Mr Byrne was was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Friday.