GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the murder of a man in Dublin last year were last night questioning one of the chief suspects. Kevin Ledwidge (28) was shot at his home in Ratoath Drive, Finglas, at 9.30am on Sunday, July 15th, as he opened his hall door. He was killed instantly.
The 26-year-old man arrested yesterday is believed to be one of two men who were at the scene of the killing. However, he is not the suspected gunman.
He was arrested at his home in south Finglas yesterday morning and taken to Finglas Garda station where he was being questioned under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. He can be questioned for up to 72 hours without charge.
Mr Ledwidge's killer opened fire with a sawn-off shotgun at point-blank range, fatally wounding him in the chest before fleeing to a waiting getaway car.
Gardaí believe the attack was a "spur-of-the-moment" killing and that it was not well planned. Neither the gunman nor the getaway driver wore balaclavas.
The gunman ran from the murder scene to a grey Opel Vectra. He was driven away at speed by an accomplice.
However, after the car crashed a short time later the two men abandoned it on Ratoath Avenue and fled the area on foot.
A number of people saw them running away and were able to give gardaí detailed descriptions.
Informed Garda sources say they are satisfied the chief suspect was embroiled in a local row with Mr Ledwidge which gardaí believe was directly linked to the murder. The killing was not drug-related and was in no way linked to organised crime.
After the killing gardaí raided a large number of properties in Finglas and seized drugs and guns, including a Mac-10 machine pistol and shotgun.
Three days after the killing one of the suspects presented himself to gardaí. He was questioned and released without charge. Another person was arrested and questioned a short time later.
There had been no further arrests in the case before yesterday. Nobody has yet been charged in relation to Mr Ledwidge's murder.
The dead man had been released from prison less than 48 hours before he was killed. He had been serving a short sentence for assault.
However, he secured bail and was released from prison pending an appeal of his conviction. He was not regarded as a gangland criminal but had a number of associates who are known drug dealers.
