Member of Hutch family identifies himself as intended target

Spanish police investigating the murder of Trevor O’Neill in Majorca on Wednesday have interviewed a member of the Hutch family who identified himself as the intended target. Mr O’Neill was killed in a case of mistaken identity on a night out with his family in the resort of Costa la Calma where they were celebrating his 42nd birthday.

His wife and three young children were taken into police protection in the aftermath of the shooting and arrived home in Dublin yesterday. The community in Drimnagh where Mr O'Neill lived has expressed its shock at the violent death and floral tributes have been left outside his home.

Although entirely without any criminal connections, Mr O’Neill death has been linked to the ongoing feud between the Hutch and Kinahan gangs which has claimed 10 lives to date.

The Majorcan daily Ultima Hora reported that a member of the Hutch family had been interviewed by police whom he told he had probably been the intended target.

He said he had just met Mr O’Neill by chance at the hotel in which he was staying near to the murder scene. His story tallied with the evidence of an eyewitness who had described how a man fitting his description begged to be let into her home after Wednesday night’s shooting.

The witness, who had tended to Mr O’Neill before paramedics and police arrived, said: “I was at my house near the crime scene when a man suddenly appeared from nowhere on my terrace begging for help and saying someone had just been shot. He gave me the impression he was the one the gunman was after. I got him some water and then rushed over to the victim to help.”

Police in Majorca are now investigating whether two burnt-out cars were used as getaway vehicles by those behind the shooting. It is believed the Volkswagen Golf and a car thought to be a Seat Ibiza were set on fire shortly afterwards at about 11pm on waste ground between two unpaved residential streets in the island capital, Palma, near its boundary with the neighbouring municipality of Marratxi.

A spokesman for the National Police said: “It is under investigation. Nothing has been ruled out.”

Although witnesses reported hearing a number of shots, postmortem carried out on Thursday at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Palma found Mr O’Neill died of a single wound to the lower back. The bullet, fired from close range, caused him severe internal injuries and although he was alive when he reached Son Espases Hospital in Palma, he died soon after.

The Civil Guard is analysing CCTV footage said to show the hoodie-wearing killer seconds before he struck. Officers are not thought to have any video showing the killing itself.

A witness at the scene had described Mr O’Neill losing a lot of blood and quickly deteriorating as people rushed to his aid and attempted to stem the flow of blood. “But it was all too late,” the witness said. “When they took him away to hospital, I knew he hadn’t made it.”