MEMBERS of Ireland’s notorious Dundon gang have strong links with Britain.
The gang’s hold on Limerick city was finally broken last week after John Dundon was found guilty at Dublin’s Special Criminal Court of the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan.
Dundon, 30, from Hyde Road in Limerick, has been sentenced to life in prison. The killing of Mr Geoghegan – a 28-year-old who was gunned down nearly five years ago in a case of mistaken identity – brought about a garda response that helped put Dundon behind bars.
Members of the Dundon family returned from London 13 years ago, beginning a reign of terror that made Limerick the ‘murder capital’ of Western Europe in 2007-2008.
In 2000 John Dundon was deported from Britain by a judge after repeated convictions for burglary and in one instance, pushing a wheelchair bound man down a flight of stairs.
He was followed to Ireland by brothers Ger, Wayne and Dessie, who all grew up the Hackney.
The Dundon’s father Kenneth had settled in the east London neighbourhood after moving from Limerick to the English capital city in 1981. He married Anne McCarthy in Hackney in 1982.
The couple had six children. Their only daughter Anne continues to live in London while Kenneth Dundon jnr is said to have no involvement in crime.
But father Kenneth Snr has a long history of criminal activity in the city.
In 2003, his details were posted on Scotland Yard’s most wanted list and a European Bench warrant was put out for his arrest after a 50-year-old heroin addict, Christopher Jacobs, who was an having an affair with Dundon’s estranged wife, was repeatedly stabbed in the face and upper body in 2003.
Kenneth Dundon later pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter and served a six-year prison sentence.
His sons Wayne, 35, Dessie, 31 and Ger, 26 are now all behind bars, joined by John, 30, who ordered a hit on rival John McNamara in 2008, only for Shane Geogheghan to be killed in a case of mistaken identity.
Dundon was ordered to serve a life sentence and is now in Portlaoise Prison. His solicitor, John Devane, has said Dundon maintains his innocence and that they may lodge an appeal.
