CCTV images show Hennessy on his phone minutes before the abduction

CCTV footage shows evil killer Mark Hennessy strolling to his SUV in a south Dublin car park less than 40 minutes before he abducted tragic Jastine Valdez.

The Irish Independent has obtained images of the father-of-two in Ballybrack at 5.41pm last Saturday, shortly after he had been drinking in a nearby pub.

Hennessy (40) had watched the start of the FA Cup Final in the pub before leaving and setting off for Enniskerry where he abducted Ms Valdez.

The images of Hennessy are taken from CCTV footage which was handed over to investigating officers yesterday.

He can be seen on his mobile phone deep in conversation with an unknown person.

This phone has since been seized by gardaí and is “central to the investigation”, according to senior sources.

Gardaí believe that after he was captured on CCTV, Hennessy drove to nearby Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, in his black Nissan Qashqai.

At around 6.15pm he was observed by a 12-year-old boy abducting tragic Ms Valdez (24).

Shortly after this shocking attack he strangled the student and then dumped her body in gorse near Puck’s Castle Lane in Rathmichael, south Dublin.

Our photos match the description that gardaí officially issued in an appeal for information about Hennessy on the sunny evening he committed the crime that has shocked the nation.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Hennessy is described as 176cm (5ft 9in) of slight build and balding and he was wearing a dark coloured T-shirt, blue jeans and grey runners at the time.

“We would particularly like to speak with people who were in the; Dalkey, Killiney, Ballybrack, Sallynoggin, Cherrywood, Rathmichael areas. The car may have stopped at restaurants, cafes, petrol station shops or bars in those areas,” gardaí said on Tuesday.

A number of business owners in Ballybrack yesterday confirmed that gardaí had collected CCTV from them which was being studied by officers last night.

The Irish Independent previously reported that Hennessy had been on a cocaine and drink binge within hours of murdering Ms Valdez on Saturday evening. He is believed to have returned to Ballybrack in the aftermath of the shocking murder.

Hennessy was shot once and fatally injured by an experienced detective in Cherrywood business park on Sunday following a manhunt.