GANG BOSS GETS LIFE FOR MURDER MOST SAVAGE

Legal history was made when the country's first ever convicted gangland
murderer was jailed for life yesterday.

Self-confessed drugs dealer and gang boss Joseph Delaney was said by the
judge to have committed an evil and foul murder of unspeakable savagery.

Delaney, 54, who recruited his son among others to abduct Mark Dwyer, 23, in
December 1996, received an additional 15-year jail sentence for falsely
imprisoning his victim.

Addressing Delaney, who stood passive and emotionless, Mr Justice Quirke
told him he had destroyed the lives of countless young people, directing his
business from the sewers of our society. He said Delaney had shown no mercy
and no remorse and was entitled to no mercy and sentenced him to life
imprisonment on the first count of murder.

During the trial the jurors requested and were given Garda protection after
complaining of intimidation and amid fears for their safety.

Delaney, with an address near Naas in County Kildare, denied the murder and
false imprisonment of Mark Dwyer. The murderer was described by the
prosecution in the trial as a senior figure in what they called a gangland
killing.

Drugs, they said, were the motive and Mark Dwyer was shot dead after being
tortured for a number of hours in a revenge killing, after 40,000 ecstasy
tablets, ordered by Joe Delaney, went missing.

Delaney was the boss who ordered Mark Dwyer's kidnapping and murder. During
the course of the trial, one juror was excused and all but those involved in
the trial were excluded from the courtroom.

The convicted man's son Scott Delaney testified against his father, saying
he witnessed him agree a fee with a gunman to have Mr Dwyer shot and when he
protested, his father punched him in the face.

Another witness, Adrienne McGuinness, told how she turned up the stereo and
cowered beside the speakers to drown out the dead man's screams as he was
tortured for hours in Delaney's home.

The prosecution said Delaney left his son with the corpse of the dead man,
in the field where Mr Dwyer was taken and shot, to throw off the scent and
make Mr Dwyer's murder look like a revenge killing for the murder of drugs
baron Jock Corbally, said to have been carried out by the dead man.

Mr Christopher Curry gave evidence for the prosecution, saying that Delaney
had told him later that "the hardest thing he had to do was leave Scott in
the field".

Telephone call evidence had also been submitted during the trial that showed
that numerous calls had been made on Delaney's mobile phone to Amsterdam
shortly before the drugs haul and other calls were made to and from gunmen,
allegedly involved in the murder, on the night of Mr. Dwyer's death.

State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison previously gave evidence to say that Mr
Dwyer died from a laceration of the brain due to a single gun shot wound to
the back of the head, fired at "virtual contact range."

Addressing the jury, who took one hour 47 minutes to reach unanimous
decisions on both counts, the judge thanked them "on behalf of the community
for the great care and attention given" to the trial.

Saying he was sorry they could not be thanked in a more tangible way, he
said the community greatly appreciates the role they played and he relieved
them from jury service for the rest of their lives.

As the verdicts were passed, there were emotional scenes in the court from
the deceased's mother who silently wept and another family member who patted
the shoulder of one of the main gardai in charge of the case.

Before sentencing for the false imprisonment was passed, Detective Sergeant
Gerard McDonnell, from Fitzgibbon Street Garda Station gave background on
Delaney, stating that he had a history of convictions, including running a
brothel, common assault and dangerous and drunken driving.

Delaney is a separated man with three children, who worked for 23 years as a
production manager with a well-known chocolate manufacturer before getting
involved in the taxi business, the Detective Sergeant said.

He said the convicted man's son, Scott Delaney was serving a life sentence
for Dwyer's murder and for falsely imprisoning him prior to his death.

Outside the court, Detective Sergeant McDonnell later said it was a "major
trial. It's the first ever gangland murder."

"I want to thank all the gardai at Fitzgibbon Street and members of the
jury. As the judge said it was one of the most gruesome cases ever to come
before the courts and that's the truth," he said.

Delaney was tried for the murder last year but the jury failed to reach a
verdict. Delaney's conviction came on the anniversary of the first day of
last year's trial. Mr Justice John Quirke refused leave to appeal and stated
that the sentences were to run concurrently, backdated from 22 December 1996
when Delaney was remanded in custody.