Murder of Tony Golden

Garda Tony Golden was an officer of the Garda Síochána, the national police service of Ireland, who was shot dead by a known dissident republican in a murder–suicide attack near Omeath, County Louth, Ireland on 11 October 2015, while on a domestic violence callout.^[1]

Lead-up

Tony Golden was originally from Culleens, Ballina, County Mayo and was married with three young children. Garda Golden was attached to Omeath Garda Station and had lived in County Louth, Ireland for 6 years, having joined the force 10 years previously. He was 36 years old at the time of his death.^[2]

Incident

On the evening of Sunday, 11 October 2015, Garda Golden – on duty, in uniform and unarmed – was shot dead by a known dissident republican, Adrian Crevan Mackin, after he entered a property on the Mullach Álainn estate in North Louth while accompanying Crevan Mackin's partner, who had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Crevan Mackin. She was also shot and critically injured during the incident. Adrian Crevan Mackin is believed to have turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Golden was accompanying Crevan Mackin's partner to protect her while collecting her belongings as she was moving back to her own family home due to domestic abuse, which had come to the attention of Gardai. Her father remained alone in the waiting patrol car outside the house, and raised the alarm when gunshots were heard. Garda Golden was credited with laying down his own life and saving the life of the young woman. He is credited with the decision to tell the woman's father to stay in the Garda car, a decision that may have saved the man's life.^[3]

The suspect

Adrian Crevan Mackin was well known to both the Gardaí and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as an active dissident republican criminal, and was on bail awaiting terrorism charges (membership of "The IRA", an illicit organisation)^[4] in the Republic of Ireland at the time of the shooting having been brought before the Special Criminal Court in Dublin earlier in 2015.

Crevan Mackin had been investigated by authorities from Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States on suspicion of dealing illegal firearms, and his home was raided and searched by the Special Detective Unit in January of the same year as the incident acting on information supplied by the FBI.^[5] He was arrested and questioned but no charges were filed relating to firearms, despite evidence of firearm paraphernalia and bomb-making equipment being recovered from his home. Crevan Mackin had been previously convicted of attempted murder as a youth, and possessing illegal pornographic images on his mobile phone in Northern Ireland. He had also been under investigation by the PSNI for threatening the lives of two female officials from social services in Northern Ireland who were in turn investigating him for domestic abuse of his girlfriend.^[6]

Aftermath

Garda Golden is understood to have been fatally shot with an illegally held 9mm Glock 17 semi-automatic pistol, and there was more ammunition found on the premises during follow-up searches.^[7]

Reports indicate another Glock handgun was recovered in the deceased suspect's car, along with 700 rounds of pistol ammunition and cans filled with petrol – indicating Crevan Mackin may have been planning a mass-casualty attack which was interrupted by Garda Golden.^[8]

Questions and concerns were raised by various public figures, politicians, the media and the general public as to why a lone unarmed Garda would be tasked to the house of a known violent terrorist, someone suspected of importing and selling guns, as to why the killer was still in possession of powerful illegal firearms and illegal ammunition while on bail relating to terrorism charges, as to why he was on bail at all – a decision the DPP did not object to. Further issues were raised about cutbacks to Garda resources and the lack of personal protective equipment for regular uniformed members.^[9]

The incident came less than 3 years after Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fatally gunned down just a number of kilometres away by a criminal gang with links to dissident republicans, who to date have not been brought before the courts.^[9]

Garda Golden, in service of the state, was afforded a full state funeral on 15 October 2015 which took place at Saint Oliver Plunkett's Church, Blackrock, County Louth.^[10]

See also

• List of Gardaí killed in the line of duty
• Killing of Adrian Donohoe

References