Convicted murderer Robert Redmond has pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder a father-of-one, who was shot dead while pushing his four-month-old son in a pram in broad daylight five years ago.
Robert Redmond (35), who is currently serving a life sentence for the murder of father-of-eight Barry Wolverson and with a previous address at Streamville Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 13, was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Monday afternoon.
The career criminal pleaded guilty to conspiring together, with another or others, to murder 22-year-old Jordan Davis on or about May 22nd, 2019, within the State.
Redmond was originally charged with the murder of Mr Davis, who was fatally shot by a gunman on a bike while pushing his four-month-old son's buggy in a laneway beside Our Lady of Immaculate National School in Darndale on May 22nd, 2019.
Mr Davis suffered three gunshot wounds including one to the head that killed him instantly.
Redmond is the second person to be dealt with in relation to the offence.
In 2022, drug dealer Wayne Cooney (33) was jailed for life for the murder of Mr Davis after a jury found Cooney was the cyclist who circled Mr Davis for three days like a "shark moving towards its prey" before firing eight shots at him from a 9mm pistol and striking him three times.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt sentenced Cooney to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder, saying that Cooney was "obviously an extremely dangerous individual".
A child who happened to be cycling through the lane was just a few feet away when Cooney opened fire.
The State had told the jury in Cooney's trial that Mr Davis was a drug dealer but that this did not reduce his entitlement for respect to his right to life. Cooney's trial heard that before the murder a local drug dealer threatened to kill Mr Davis because the deceased owed him €70,000.
At a brief hearing on Monday afternoon, prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC said the plea to the second count on the indictment was acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A "nolle prosequi" will be entered on the murder charge [the first count on the indictment] after the defendant is sentenced. This means the State will not be proceeding with the prosecution against Redmond on the first count.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Redmond in custody until May 13th, for a sentence hearing. It is expected that a victim impact report will be heard on that date.
The Special Criminal Court previously heard that Redmond has 97 previous convictions which include two counts for possession of firearms and ammunition with intention to endanger life as well as a life sentence for murder.
In December 2022, Redmond was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering father-of-eight Barry Wolverson (40) at Madigan's Yard, Kileek Lane, Swords, Co Dublin, at around midday on January 17th, 2020. He had denied the charge.
Redmond's co-accused Bernard Fogarty (34), with an address at Cromcastle Court, Kilmore, Coolock, Dublin 5, was also sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Mr Wolverson. Mr Wolverson was a businessman who rented space at Madigan's Yard in Swords in north Dublin. He was shot in cold blood and died after being in a coma.
Separately, Redmond was also jailed by the Special Criminal Court for six years in 2023 for his part in helping to move a submachine gun that was recovered during a garda operation in 2020.
