GARDAÍ have “utterly failed” to get justice for murdered Limerick teenager Jeffrey Hannan who was beaten to death 15 years ago, the victim’s father, Alan Hannan, has told the Limerick Post.
Mr Hannan’s despairing assessment of the Garda investigation into his son’s murder comes as fresh enquires by an Assistant Garda Commissioner have run cold, and a criminal investigation by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has also failed to unearth new leads.
It has also emerged that a Garda peer review of the 2007 murder investigation by Limerick Gardaí, which began in 2019, has also run cold.
Separate Garda disciplinary enquires into claims a Detective Garda withheld a witness statement about the murder, in order to protect a Garda informant, ended when the officer retired.
19 year-old Jeffrey Hannan was beaten to death with a hatchet at a bonfire near his home at Galtee Drive, O’Malley Park, in the early hours on November 22, 2007.
The father-of-one had been about to begin a trainee barman course, and he was also looking forward to the birth of his second daughter.
Gardaí believe he was the victim of an unprovoked and vicious attack by a man, and that the killing was witnessed by several other people.
Some of those who are suspected of witnessing the murder, including the chief suspect’s former girlfriend, have since passed away.
Jeffrey’s body was dragged across a green area and dumped by a wall before being discovered by a passer-by later that morning.
“I feel that I’m let down by the Gardaí, the State, and by GSOC, the whole lot of them. They know who did it, they know who murdered Jeffrey, so why don’t they go after them, it’s ridiculous,” said Alan Hannan.
“I have campaigned for 15 years for justice for my son. He was an innocent young man, the gardai who investigated the murder have said that on the record. I’m absolutely devastated that no one has been charged with killing Jeffrey, even though I believe the Gardai should have enough evidence to bring someone before the courts.”
“Southill is a small place and everyone knows everyone’s business there. I was told who murdered Jeffrey on the morning he died. The Gardaí also know who murdered Jeffrey, they have told me that, and witnesses have given statements, but no one has been brought to court. Why is that, it’s not right?” he asked.
In November 2013, six years after the murder, Alan Hannan received a message on social media from a person claiming to have “information that will help you significantly to find out who was responsible for what happened”.
The message continued “…the reason I have not yet shared this information does not come down to not being called a rat, it is simply to protect me and my own family from these individuals or associates of these individuals”.
“You probably know this already but the main person involved in this is still walking around like nothing ever happened, taking his children to school every day, his partner who was heavily involved also is now dead herself”.
The author goes on to explain that they have “tried to give this information before anonymously” and that they are concerned for their own safety.
Mr Hannan said he made contact with this person who eventually made a formal statement to Gardaí in 2014 in which they allegedly identified the killer and others who were at the scene on the night.
Mr Hannan received a letter from the DPP, written March 1, 2017, which informed him that “it was not possible to take the investiagtion further, based upon the available evidence”.
He claims part of the letter is inaccurate as it states “as you are aware, in April 2014, you were contacted by a person claiming to have information in relation to your son’s death”.
“I received the message at 9.28am on November 11, 2013,” reiterated Mr Hannan.
The letter goes on to explain that “six persons were re-arrested and questioned” by Gardaí acting on this information.
However the DPP’s letter explains that “some of the persons interviewed have since passed away” and that, having sought and received advice from a senior legal counsel “the Deputy Director concluded that the evidence available was insufficient to prosecute to the standard required by the criminal law”.
“The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the suspect is guilt. The suspect does not have to prove their innocence,” the letter added.
In early 2019, Mr Hannan was approached by a person in Limerick City, who told him he had information that a Detective Garda had been at the centre of internal Garda enquires for having allegedly withheld a witness statement in his son’s murder case years previously, in order to protect a Garda informant, and had therefore allegedly perverted the course of justice.
The witness had allegedly given the information to the detective in an unmarked Garda car.
A second Garda, who was in the car at the time, made a statement about the alleged meeting with the witness, the source claimed.
Mr Hannan said his source had specific details about internal Garda enquires and about the Garda investigation into his son’s murder. These details were later confirmed by his sources in An Garda Siochana and within GSOC.
In response to queries from the Limerick Post, Gardaí stated they do not comment on internal Garda disciplinary matters or in relation to retired members.
However sources in An Garda Siochana and the GSOC have also confirmed that the internal inquiry into the claims ended when the Detective Garda retired.
Mr Hannan said he met with a senior Garda on February 26, 2019, and outlined his concerns about the claims the witness statement was not passed to Gardaí investigating his son’s murder.
Mr Hannan claims this Garda dismissed his concerns.
“They said they didn’t believe it,” he explained.
Alan Hannan made a formal statement to Gardaí on March 4, 2019, outlining his concerns about the investigation into Jeffrey’s murder.
In it he states he had already passed on his concerns to a senior Garda; he outlines the allegations involving the Detective Garda; and he claims that a former Garda had told him that a senior Garda had questioned a prisoner who was serving a jail sentence “without the knowledge of the investigating officers”.
Mr Hannan said he asked Gardaí that if this was done, why was it done? He also asked “why did it take two years” for Gardaí to search a house for the murder weapon and why was it six weeks before Gardaí made their first arrests in the case?
“My son is murdered going on 12 years and I don’t see much happening,” Mr Hannan told Gardaí at the time.
He said the questions he asked Gardaí have still not been answered.
On March 7, 2019, Mr Hannan made a formal complaint to GSOC about the claims involving the Detective Garda.
GSOC informed him on March 15, 2019 that it had “determined that the complaint is admissible under Section 87 of the (Garda Siochana) Act and has decided that the complaint should be investigated in accordance with Section 98 of the Act, in other words a criminal investigation”.
On March 25, 2019, Mr Hannan wrote to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris asking to meet with him and telling him about the allegations involving the Detective Garda and that his source was “in fear” for his life.
In the intervening years Mr Hannan has been assigned several GSOC designated officers to investigate the allegations.
However, he said he has been told by his GSOC contact that their enquires have run cold.
A GSOC source said that enquiries into the claims against the retired detective have effectively stalled.
When asked for comment, a GSOC spokeswoman replied: “As this investigation remains open, GSOC is not in a position to provide any update at this time.”
A Garda peer review of the entire murder investigation which opened in Limerick in 2019. has failed to unearth fresh evidence.
The Garda review team informed Mr Hannan that fresh DNA testing of clothes which they seized from individuals they believe were involved in the murder failed to link them to the killing.
“Gardaí said blood found on their clothes was only belonging to them and blood found on Jeffrey’s clothes was only his blood,” said Mr Hannan.
“I’m beyond devastated, I just feel let down. If allegations were made against me that I withheld a statement from a murder investigation, I would be arrested, wouldn’t I?
“Has this retired Garda been arrested? Are Gardaí going to question them, like they would any other civilian? I can’t get any answers about this,” he said.
When these and other questions were put to the Garda Press Office, a spokesman replied: “An Garda Síochána does not generally provide specific details of the conduct of any particular criminal investigation.”
The spokesman also stated that “An Garda Síochána does not comment on either investigations carried out by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission or internal disciplinary matters.”
“An Garda Síochána can confirm an internal review into this matter has been completed by Limerick Garda Divisions.”
“The investigation into the murder of Mr Jeffrey Hannan remains an active investigation. Over the years, a number of arrests have been made as part of the investigation.”
“An Garda Síochána continues to appeal to any members of the public with any information relating to this murder to please come forward,” said the Garda spokesman.
On March 9 last year, Commissioner Harris wrote to Sinn Fein TD Maurice Quinlivan, after the Limerick politician had made representations on Mr Hannan’s behalf, informing him that the Assistant Garda Commissioner for the Southern Region would meet him to discuss the matters raised by Mr Hannan.
Over the last year, Alan Hannan and Assistant Commissioner Michael Finn met a number of times. However enquires by Assistant Commissioner Finn have also failed to bring the case forward.
A GSOC spokesman previously confirmed that, generally speaking, retired Gardaí can still be subject to GSOC criminal investigations even if they are not subject to internal Garda disciplinary hearings.
“If the alleged offence was committed while the Garda was still a serving member, a criminal investigation would be conducted by GSOC under Section 98 of the Garda Siochana Act,” the spokesman explained.
Twenty people have been questioned by Gardaí about the murder, however it has been a number of years since the last arrest was made.
The chief suspect, a family man, remains at large and living in Limerick.
With little sign of a breakthrough in the case, Alan Hannan said he will investigate “if the European courts of justice or human rights can help me”.
“From day one, this has torn my family apart. We were just an ordinary family and we got a kick in the face when Jeffrey was murdered. We never bothered anyone, and we have been kicked in the face for the last 15 years.”
Mr Hannan also contacted Justice Minister Helen McEntee but her spokesman replied that, “disciplinary matters within An Garda Siochana are a matter for the Garda Commissioner, and not for the Minister, and in these circumstances, it would be inappropriate for the Minister to comment”.
Alan Hannan concluded: “Jeffrey’s murder is fifteen years this November, and these people are still walking around.
“The Gardaí know who did that to Jeffrey. It could only happen in this country. If it was any other country, they would be locked up a long time ago”.
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