Gardaí have 'open mind' on councillor's death

Detectives investigating the death of former Limerick city councillor Michael Kelly today said they were keeping an open mind…

Detectives investigating the death of former Limerick city councillor Michael Kelly today said they were keeping an open mind as to how he died.

Officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation are spearheading the case at a national and local level.

Mr Kelly, a former criminal who later served on Limerick Council, was found with a bullet wound to his head in a bedroom of his mother's home in the city last month and died in hospital late last night.

Garda Det Sgt Tom O'Connor said all aspects of how Mr Kelly was shot had to be addressed.

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It is understood that no weapon was found in the house. Gardaí  were called to Lilac Court, in the Southill area, at about 8.30 a.m. on May 13th, after reports of gunfire. Kelly had been in hospital since the shooting.

Several people have been questioned by the investigation team in the city in relation to the shooting, but no arrests have been made. Mr Kelly, who resigned his council seat in 2002, was also injured in a previous gun attack at his home.

He recovered after he was shot in the stomach as he opened the front door of his house in February 2002.

The controversial alderman, believed to be in his forties, had over 30 previous convictions and was a high-profile council member for three years. He was found guilty of VAT and income tax fraud after an  investigation by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

PA