‘I know Dean did crime but he wasn’t a mass murderer’
Victim’s aunt rejects public criticism of ‘disturbing’ funeral service
THE grieving aunt of N7 crash victim Dean Maguire has defended her nephew, saying that his funeral did not glorify criminality.
The woman, who gave her name as ‘Anne’, said she ‘didn’t think’ anything of weapons being featured in the ceremony
The 29-year-old was killed, alongwith Graham Taylor, 21, and Carl Freeman, 26, on July 8 when the car they were travelling in crashed into a truck.
The men, who had over 200 convictions between them and were part of a notorious criminal gang, had been travelling purposely on the wrong side of the road after being pursued by gardaí.
Their funerals were held in recent days, but Maguire’s, in particular, drew widespread criticism as it had multiple references to his life of crime.
During the service, friends of the father-of-two placed a torch and a screwdriver as remembrance gifts beside his coffin.
A poster featuring his face on the altar also read: ‘You know the score, get on the floor, don’t be funny, show me the money.’
Maguire’s aunt, whose brother Thomas is the deceased’s father, complained to RTÉ’s Liveline that the victims are being portrayed as if they were ‘mass murderers’.
‘I wouldn’t be judging anyone. They’re making this big thing out about a torch. These young lads, whatever crime they done, they’re gone now and there’s nothing bringing them back.’
She said that she was unaware of the crimes committed by her nephew, but knew he had spent time behind bars.
‘I’m well aware that Dean did crime, but he did his time for his crime so I don’t know why all of this is going on, making them out to be mass murderers.’ On Monday, Fr Donal Roche, who was present at the funeral, told Liveline it was the ‘most disturbing’ liturgy he was ever at.
However, Anne said she wasn’t aware of any bad behaviour inside the church.
‘There was no such carry-on in the church, I was in the church,’ she said. ‘I don’t know why the priest was terrified because the priest that did the funeral knows the family very well.’
Commenting on the poster along with frequent ‘Up Foxrock’ remarks made during the service, Anne said she didn’t believe they were in reference to robberies.
‘I don’t know what that was about. I thought it was a slang with them, I wouldn’t say it was about robbing.
‘Crime is in every family all over the world, I’m not saying every family do things like that, but crime is widespread.’
She added that the three men died a ‘terrible death’ and that Dean’s parents have been ‘torn apart’ by the tragedy.
‘Nobody deserves a death like that. Where were the gardaí that were supposed to be following or chasing them? I don’t know.’
Maguire’s aunt said that her nephew came from a ‘wellrespected’ family.
‘My brother and his wife worked all their lives, and they gave their children everything they could ever need, all the love in the world, you couldn’t have asked for a better family,’ she explained.
‘But the mother and father can’t be responsible for their children.’
‘Don’t know why priest was terrified’