Gangland figure Robbie Lawlor was murdered when he attended an appointment he arranged while exchanging cash with a man in a supermarket car park, Belfast Magistrates’ Court has heard.
Detectives claimed Lawlor (36) planned a follow-up call at a house in Belfast’s Ardoyne area and was shot dead when he visited Etna Drive the next day.
The details emerged as a man, currently on bail over the April 4th killing, failed in an attempt to have a curfew lifted.
The suspect (36) has not been charged with any offences connected to the murder, but a detective told the court the man was believed to have met Lawlor in a Tesco car park in Crumlin, Co Antrim the day before the shooting.
“Robert Lawlor did attend that appointment, and when he arrived he was met by a gunman who exited (the address) and shot him dead in broad daylight,” the detective said.
He was shot several times and died at the scene. A Volkswagen Scirocco, thought to have been used as a getaway car, was later found burnt out nearby.
Feud
Lawlor, originally from Dublin, was involved in a feud between rival Drogheda-based factions. His group was linked to the abduction and murder of Keane Mulready-Woods (17) in January.
“This murder is directly linked to a feud between several organised crime gangs originating out of the Republic of Ireland,” the detective said. “It’s a comprehensive and complex investigation, with numerous links to organised crime gangs operating internationally, as well as mainland UK and throughout Ireland.”
The suspect man seeking to have his curfew lifted was arrested three days after Lawlor’s death. Defence barrister Bobbie-Leigh Herdman claimed the curfew was “disproportionate”. She said the killing and alleged meeting between her client and Lawlor occurred during daytime.
However, the detective said significant planning for the murder happened during the hours of darkness and that the curfew should be maintained.
The judge said it was not an unreasonable condition.