The house where Marlo Hyland was shot dead

This is the house where two hitmen murdered drug boss Martin "Marlo" Hyland and an innocent plumber named Anthony Campbell.

It is located at 8 Scribblestown Park in Finglas, Dublin.

At the time of his death, Hyland was aware that he was in danger. Shortly before the shooting, the police had visited him on two separate occasions to warn him about a credible threat to his life.

Operation Oak

During the mid-2000s, "Marlo" began to establish links with other criminal organizations.

This led to fears that he was on the verge of becoming too big to control.

In September 2005, the authorities launched a special operation called "Operation Oak", which specifically targeted the gangster and his network.

Over the next couple of months, this increased police activity put Hyland's gang under severe pressure.

Numerous seizures of drug shipments, weapons, and cash put a strain on the organization's finances. Furthermore, more than 20 members of the gang were arrested and charged with serious offenses.

The relentless drug busts isolated Hyland from his associates and weakened his position.

Despite the increased pressure, "Marlo" somehow managed to evade arrest. This led to suspicions that he had become an informant.

To compound matters even further for the crime boss, his worsening financial situation had made it impossible for him to pay some of his top lieutenants.

Isolated and aware that he was in danger, he purposely slept at different houses.

Scribblestown Park

On the night of December 11th, 2006, "Marlo" slept at his niece's house in Scribblestown Park in South Finglas.

Early the next morning, 20-year-old apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell and his boss arrived at the address to fix a broken radiator.

At some point, Campbell's boss decided to drive to a hardware store and pick up some supplies for another job. Shortly afterwards, Hyland's niece also left the house to bring her child to school.

When Campbell's boss left to get supplies, he stayed behind and continued working on the radiator. Meanwhile, Hyland slept in a bed upstairs.

The murder of Marlo Hyland and Anthony Campbell

At around 9.20 a.m., two hitmen entered the property. One crept upstairs while the other held Campbell at gunpoint.

The gunman who went upstairs shot Hyland six times at close range. It is unlikely that the embattled drug lord even realized what was happening.

Once their target had been taken care of, the gunmen focused their attention on Campbell.

Sadly, it seems as though they arrived at the conclusion that the young apprentice had seen too much. As a result, they decided to shoot him in the head.

Campbell's murder sparked public outrage. A young, innocent bystander had lost his life to the senseless gangland violence that was plaguing Ireland.

Although the police suspected that Hyland's former associates carried out the murder, nobody was ever charged with the crime.

Photos

Photos of the house and other related images.

Crime scene

The image above shows the Irish police cordoning off the crime scene at 8 Scribblestown Park.

Because there were no signs of forced entry, it is believed that the innocent plumber opened the door to his killers. It is also possible that the gunmen had a spare key to the house.

Eamon Dunne

The police believe that the shooting was orchestrated by Marlo's lieutenant, Eamon Dunne, and other men to whom he owed money. At the time, Hyland was reportedly unable to pay up due to the gang's heavy losses.

Dunne took control of the gang following Hyland's death. However, his reign did not last long. Roughly three years later, he was shot dead at a pub in Cabra.

Martin "Marlo" Hyland

Hyland knew that he had become a target. However, he refused to engage with the Irish police when they warned him that his life was in danger.

Realizing that his days were numbered, he became depressed and paranoid.

His niece recalled how he would carry a samurai sword around the house with him at all times. He would also refuse to answer the door to anyone he didn't know. His brother, William, said that Marlo attempted to heal old family quarrels shortly before his death.

At the time of his murder, he was regularly moving between a number of different addresses. Previously, he had stayed at Kippure Park in Finglas and St. Attracta's Road in Cabra.

Local sources have stated that Hyland's real nickname was "Marno", not "Marlo".

Anthony Campbell

20-year-old apprentice plumber Anthony Campbell was an innocent bystander who was killed because he witnessed the murder. His family said that he was happy to be making some money before Christmas.

Sadly, he lost his life because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

2006 was a particularly bloody year for gangland violence in Ireland. Hyland and Campbell's deaths brought the number of killings that year to 23. Before the year was over, another three men were gunned down.