Kneecapped and left

stranded on side of
the road
Gang of men involved in local
shooting
Gardai in Belturbet are investigating the brutal
style shooting of a man in his 40s, who was
kneecapped and left stranded on the side of the
road outside Belturbet which took place two
weekends ago.
At around 7.15pm Saturday evening (October
25), Noel Muldoon (41) with an address of
Ballymote in Sligo was discovered with what
gardai say were wounds consistent with two
shotgun blast one to each knee.
Mr Muldoon is a married man with a young family
to provide for and gardai are trying to establish a
motive.
A blood splattered, Northern registered white
Citroen Berlingo van, the victims van, was also
discovered a couple of hundred feet down the
road parked in a field opening which was
removed from the scene Sunday morning.
The brutal discovery was made by a passing
motorist and gardai say a number of vehicles
would have passed the scene until the discovery.
Those motorists who were on that road at the

time are being asked to make contact with the

investigators.
It is believed that up to three or four vehicles
were involved and a gang of men carrying out
the local shooting could have been seen by
passing traffic as dusk fell on the BelturbetEnniskillen road.
Forensic and technical tests were carried out on
the blood splatter Citroen Berlingo which was
abandoned on the side of the road in a field
opening near Aghalane Bridge which separates
the South and the North.
Mr Muldoon has previous convictions in County
Meath in 1999 of possession of stolen property.
This includes two stolen tractors and he was
given a Four year suspended sentence.
Initially, investigators had the added factor of
deciding whether a house fire on the previous
night in Belturbet was just a coincidence or to be
factored into their efforts. That avenue of
inquiry, however, has now been ruled out and
gardai are now treating the fire as a coincidence.
This is the second house fire in the area in under
a week as in Ballyconnel on Halloween night
(October 31) an abandoned house was set alight
and the whole upstairs and roof was burned off.
The gardai are looking for anyone with
information to come forward to the Ballyconnel
garda station.
The victim of the shooting was taken to the
Cavan General Hospital for injuries described as

non-life threatening and it is understood he has

since been transferred to hospital in Louth.
No arrests have yet been made but gardai say
the investigations is in its early stages and are
anxious to speak to witnesses who may have
been in the Belturbet or Aghalane area on this
Saturday evening. They are asked to contact the
Ballyconnel or Belturbet Garda station on 049-

9525580.