Irish 'mob enforcer' shot dead in Spanish bar
Two masked gunmen stormed into a quiet shopping centre near Marbella on Saturday evening and shot Gerard 'Hatchet' Kavanagh, nine times in the back and head in what is believed to be a drugs-gang related incident.
Witnesses said that the black-clad, balaclava-wearing assassins approached Kavanagh at 5.25pm on the terrace of Harmon's Irish Bar in the Elviria shopping centre and opened fire, just 500 metres from the luxury Don Carlos hotel where a Spain-USA forum was taking place.
Spain's defence minister had spoken there earlier in the day and the US ambassador to Spain was also in attendance at the high-security event.
According to local daily Sur, witnesses said the men "looked like ninjas".
The first shot hit Kavanagh in the arm then he received further bullets to the back as he attempted to flee inside to safety. The final shot was to his head.
A car parked nearby was hit by a stray bullet but no bystanders were hurt.
The killers escaped on foot but a black BMW was found burning some five KM away in the direction of Marbella.
The Irish Sunday Independent newspaper reported that Kavanagh, who was nicknamed 'Hatchet', was a convicted heroin dealer known to Irish police as a violent gang enforcer who collected debts.
He was said to have lived in Spain for some years but to have returned to Dublin earlier this year in an unsuccessful attempt to recover money owed to a Spanish cartel by an Irish drugs gang .
Police took a number of statements and DNA samples at the crime scene and investigations are ongoing.
Comments
See Also
Witnesses said that the black-clad, balaclava-wearing assassins approached Kavanagh at 5.25pm on the terrace of Harmon's Irish Bar in the Elviria shopping centre and opened fire, just 500 metres from the luxury Don Carlos hotel where a Spain-USA forum was taking place.
Spain's defence minister had spoken there earlier in the day and the US ambassador to Spain was also in attendance at the high-security event.
According to local daily Sur, witnesses said the men "looked like ninjas".
The first shot hit Kavanagh in the arm then he received further bullets to the back as he attempted to flee inside to safety. The final shot was to his head.
A car parked nearby was hit by a stray bullet but no bystanders were hurt.
The killers escaped on foot but a black BMW was found burning some five KM away in the direction of Marbella.
The Irish Sunday Independent newspaper reported that Kavanagh, who was nicknamed 'Hatchet', was a convicted heroin dealer known to Irish police as a violent gang enforcer who collected debts.
He was said to have lived in Spain for some years but to have returned to Dublin earlier this year in an unsuccessful attempt to recover money owed to a Spanish cartel by an Irish drugs gang .
Police took a number of statements and DNA samples at the crime scene and investigations are ongoing.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.