Gardaí investigating the shooting dead of Donna Cleary at a house party in north Dublin almost two years ago were last night questioning a woman about the gun used in the murder of the mother of one.
The 24-year-old suspect was arrested just before 9am at a house on Thatch Road, Whitehall, Dublin 9. She was being questioned last night under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act at Coolock Garda station.
The woman is the partner of one of the men gardaí believe was with the gunman who killed Ms Cleary.
Gardaí are working on the theory that the group implicated in the fatal attack met with the woman after the incident and may have asked her to dispose of the weapon.
The gun was never found and gardaí are anxious to trace it. They also believe the arrested woman may have information in relation to the identity of those in possession of the gun, testimony that could lead to a prosecution in the case.
Ms Cleary (22) was shot dead at a house party at Adare Green, Coolock, in the early hours of March 5th, 2006.
A group of four men from Finglas had become involved in a scuffle earlier in the evening after they were refused entry to the house where a 40th birthday party was under way.
They left the scene only to return in their car minutes later with a gun. One of the men, Dwayne Foster, was in possession of the 9mm pistol and opened fire indiscriminately on the house from the garden.
Ms Cleary was fatally wounded in the chest and fell bleeding on to the kitchen floor. She was taken to Beaumont Hospital but died almost an hour and a half later, at 4.30am, following a cardiac arrest.
Foster (24), Woodbank Avenue, Finglas, and his associates were arrested at a house in Kildare less than 24 hours later.
However, while being detained at Coolock Garda station, Foster died. He had battled cancer and was a heavy drug user. A postmortem revealed he died from methadone intoxication.
The other men arrested with him were released without charge.
At Ms Cleary's inquest last September, Dublin city coroner Dr Brian Farrell was told by a Garda witness that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed no criminal charges could be brought against three people on whom he had received Garda files.
The Irish Times understands that in order for charges to be levelled gardaí would have been required to prove that the other men acted with criminal intent; that they were aware Foster was armed; and were aware that he intended to go back to the house and open fire.
Ms Cleary's parents, Peter and Kathleen, criticised the DPP decision following the inquest.
"There were other cases that happened in this country and there were no witnesses and they were brought to justice. We have witnesses there," Mr Cleary said, referring to the other partygoers.
The couple are now raising their daughter's son, Clayton, who was four at the time his mother was shot dead.
Anybody with information on the killing is asked to contact gardaí in Coolock on (01) 6664200.