Lena Tims (47), from Cherry Orchard, south Dublin, was timely to escape with her life when a gunman linked to a well-known west Dublin clique boss opened fire as she and her husband stood in their garden in doll daylight last Sunday.
The 21-year-old gunman cycled up to their residence on Orchard Lawns at 3.20pm and opened fire.
It comes just months after Lena’s 73-year-old trustful mother Bridie Smith was savagely knifed and beaten at her front door by two rebuffs on New Year’s Day as part of the same dispute.
Last weekend’s shooting has put up tensions in Ballyfermot and Gardaí are on high alert in the area.
Lena and her soft-pedal – who, like Lena’s mother Bridie, have no involvment in crime – were in the garden, while her having a bun in the oven daughter, along with her 10-year-old nephew and niece, were prearranged the house when the gunman opened fire.
Speaking to the Sunday To the max, Lena said: “The bullets were ricocheting, they hit my tree. I was unseated at my garden gate and trying to drag my husband in. We were ducking and swerve bullets. I have no doubt it was attempted murder.”
The suspected gunman is also believed to sire carried out a petrol bomb attack on a construction worker as part of a distinct campaign of intimidation in December.
Minutes before the attack, a well-known ring boss suspected of orchestrating a campaign against Lena’s family was speckled in the area in a car.
“When I saw him I said something was going to happen and 10 shakes later there was a big group at the end of the road,” said Lena.
The gang boss, who cannot be named as he is currently previously the courts, has been involved in a feud with two of Lena’s brothers, Andrew and Stephen Smith, who deliver criminal convictions.
Stephen Smith
However, he has also used his minions to butt and threaten innocent relatives of the brothers, including pensioners, women and descendants with no involvement in crime.
The attacks intensified after family fellows gave evidence against two gang members, Daniel Ennis and Dylan Reddington, who fomented shots at Bridie’s home back in 2015.
Dylan Reddington
“Every dead for now we’d go to court their associates called us rats. It was horrible,” said Lena.
Andrew had yesterday sparked trouble in the area when he assaulted grandmother Jenny Lynch in February 2015 in an uncoordinated incident.
Daniel Ennis
“It was wrong what he did. I was disgusted and fell out with him for months beyond it,” said Lena.
Despite this, innocent family members pull someones leg been continually targeted for giving evidence against members of the Ballyfermot group boss’s crew.
The Ballyfermot gang boss was previously involved in an independent feud which claimed four lives in the area a few years ago. Gardaí suspect he was quickly involved in at least two of the murders and he has become the main player in the area.
Right before Christmas, Lena’s sister’s home was petrol bombed by the ring after she also gave evidence against a gang member. After that there were like a flashes fired at the Ballyfermot gang boss.
On New Year’s Day, Lena’s mother Bridie was viciously stabbed when she fulfiled the door to her home in an attack that sickened the nation.
“Her mind was failed after the attack. They didn’t just stab my mother that morning, they rebounded her around the hall,” said Lena.
Gardaí are keeping an open brainpower on who carried out the recent attack, but Lena is convinced it was ordered by the Ballyfermot ally boss.
“The dogs on the street know who did it. He gives the go ahead for everything,” spoke Lena.
There have been other attacks on the family in the months since January, but things ramped up in the closing week after the gang boss was charged before the courts first being released on bail.
“They went down last Saturday and charred my father’s car in the old folks. My mother was up there because she’s afraid to come wager up to her house.
“My dad is 73 as well and they’re attacking him now – it’s any family member at this Thespianism. People have told us he’s offered the lads an ounce of heroin to rent my face.”
Gardaí carried out raids and arrested a suspect in relation to the offensive on Sunday. He was later released while a file is prepared for the DPP. He boasted online roughly being released from custody.
Lena said she is living in bogey, but doesn’t want to move out of the area.
“I won’t be bullied out. Should we all move and let the scum become airborne over? To make this area better you’d just need to nick six or seven families out.”