Mother saw man being shot in face outside creche, inquest told

A young mother has described how she saw a gunman move from a crouching position to standing before shooting a man in the face outside a Dublin creche.

Declan "Fat Deccy" Smith (32), of Howth Road, Dublin 5, died a week later at Beaumont Hospital.

At 9am on March 21st, 2014, Smith dropped his son to Little Rainbows Creche at Holywell Avenue in Donaghmede, Dublin.

The only witness to the shooting, Kelly O’Meara, passed him in the doorway as she left the creche after dropping off her daughter.

“As I opened the front door I noticed a man entering with a young boy. I held the door open and he said ‘Thanks’,” she said. As she walked back to her car, she heard a male voice shouting “No” three or four times in the street.

Ms O’Meara broke down in tears as Dublin Coroner’s Court heard her evidence of the fatal shooting of Smith, a father-of-one.

“I saw a male holding a shotgun move from crouching to standing. As the man holding the shotgun stood up I noticed he was pointing the gun at the man from the creche...the gunman stood in front of him, a couple of feet away.

“The man holding the gun pointed at other man’s head area,” she said.

She described hearing “one loud bang”.

“The man fell onto his left side and ended up face down on the ground. I knew he had been shot. I got into my car, I was afraid I’d be attacked for seeing him.

“I kept my eyes on the gunman. I saw him move and stand over the other man lying in the road. He was still holding the gun in both hands and pointing it at the man’s head,” Ms O’Meara said.

The gunman then walked off towards a green area. “He did not run,” she said.

The woman said it was a bright sunny day and there was no one else around. She remained in her car and dialled 999.

Rebecca O’Driscoll told the inquest she arrived at the creche a few minutes later and told how she saw Smith on the ground with his legs moving slightly, and then the victim’s face covered in blood.

She pulled her daughter’s hood over her face and ran inside. Two creche workers went to assist Smith and stayed with him until an ambulance arrived.

Smith was unconscious but had a pulse, and was taken to Beaumont Hospital. Doctors confirmed he did not give any information about the identity of his attacker.

He was pronounced dead on March 27th.

Blood vessels in his neck had been irreparably damaged and the cause of death was cerebral infarction due to a gunshot wound to the head and neck, according to State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy.

No charges have been brought in relation to the shooting and the investigation remains live, Sgt Pat Dunne told the court.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell appealed for anyone with information to come forward and assist gardaí with their inquiries.

The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing by a person or persons unknown.