JOHN RUSSELL believes Sligo Rovers hotshot Owen Elding should be an Ireland Under-21.

The English-born 19-year-old is the son of Anthony Elding, who scored the dramatic late winner for Sligo to beat Drogheda United to clinch the 2013 FAI Cup.

Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Seb Daly/Sportsfile

Young winger Elding netted a stunning goal to give Sligo the lead against Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

The Bit O’Red were minutes from holding out for what would have been a third win in four games until James Clarke headed Bohs’ equaliser in the 95th minute.

Elding’s worldie — his eighth strike of the season — was similar to a cracker he scored against champions Shelbourne at Tolka Park last month.

And while manager Russell believes he is eligible to play for Ireland, keeping Elding at Sligo a little longer is the immediate challenge.

The Bit O’Red chief said: “What a strike from Owen Elding. He’s an incredible talent. And it’s becoming a habit now.

“His technique is off the charts and he’s been honing that for the last couple of years.

“He works hard, he stays after training and practises. And it’s no coincidence that when the lights come on on a Friday, Saturday night, he’s producing the goods.

“It’s becoming a habit of him picking up the ball in those areas, driving forward and he’s just setting himself up. An incredible goal.”

While Elding extended his contract at Sligo until the end of the 2027 season in February, interest in him is rising.

Russell said: “I would have felt Owen had a big season ahead of him.

“And I spoke to the club and said, ‘We need to tie him down’. And thankfully we have.

“There’s no buyout clause or any of this stuff.

“So it’s important as a club that we move forward and get proper fees for our talents if we are developing them.

“And I think whoever does eventually prise Owen away from the club, it’ll be a hell of a fee.

“Obviously the window opens on July 1. There’s a lot of clubs interested.

“I’m sure there was a lot there on Friday night. When a 19-year-old kid is doing what he’s doing, there’s always going to be bids coming in.

“So we’ll just have to wait and see.

“He’s a real talisman for a kid so young. And I love his mentality.

“As a manager, I don’t want to be losing him. He’s doing unbelievably this year.

“I think for his own development, having a full season is good for him.

“He’s playing, he’s confident, he’s enjoying his football.

“It’s all about playing now and for me he’s got to be up for Young Player of the Year.

“I’d love to see him standing at the end of the season in Team of the Year, Young Player of the Year and getting the recognition for the talent that he has and also pulling us out of the position that we’re in.”

GREEN SHOOTS

Russell insists Elding is eligible to play for Jim Crawford’s Young Boys in Green, saying: “Yes, he is.”

But the boss does not know why he has not been approached.

Russell said: “That’s a good question, which you should ask the FAI.

“I would have flagged this a while back.

“I think there is stuff going on in the background trying to get him nationalised.

“He has been in the country since he was 11 years of age.

“He was born in England, his dad obviously then having come over here to play.

“There is talk in the background and hopefully it can be resolved as he should be in that Under-21 squad.

“I think it’s paperwork that the FAI have to organise.

“I’m led to believe it’s close, so I think for everyone it would be good if it happened soon.”

BRUNO FERNANDES has scored £8million in image rights payments – softening the blow of snubbing the mega riches on offer at Al-Hilal.

The Manchester United captain recently rejected an eye-watering three-year tax-free deal worth £200million to move to Saudi Arabia.

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Bruno Fernandes has pocketed over £8m since snubbing a move to Saudi Arabia[/caption]

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The Manchester United captain wants to continue at the top level[/caption]

Al-Hilal were reportedly ready to pay United a £100million fee.

However, Fernandes, 30, insisted that he wants to remain in Europe and play at the “top level”.

And while his decision could cost him hundreds of millions of pounds, latest accounts for his image rights firm show he has tucked away £8million in off-pitch earnings.

Paperwork covering the 2023/24 season shows the attacker has piled up £8.3million in BF8 Sports Limited, the firm he used for off-field pay.

That figure shot up £2.1million compared to the previous year.

That works out at £175,000 a month on top of his playing pay.

After paying bills, the Portuguese star is left with £7,849,371.

The company was set up in 2020 and is listed as “other sports activities”.

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Fernandes is reportedly on £12.5million a year at United, with bonuses, image rights and lucrative sponsorship deals with brands such as Adidas and EA Sports earning him additional millions.

He is also reported to have a number of properties in both England and Portugal.

Fernandes is under contract at Old Trafford until the summer of 2027.

Man United chiefs possess an option to extend the deal by a further 12 months.

Manager Ruben Amorim has made clear he believes United must keep hold of Fernandes if they want to be successful.

He said: “He is seeing us taking some actions to change all the things and I think that is all that he wants to stay.

“He’s saying ‘no’ to a lot of things, but it shows that he wants to win.

“He’s really young, he’s really good. He needs to be in the best league in the world.”

MANILA, Philippines — Thunderstorms are expected to continue in Metro Manila and some Luzon areas through Sunday afternoon, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). Aside from Metro Manila, the state weather bureau said moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds will occur in the following areas: Zambales

HE was a PhD student by day, and a sadistic ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ by night – a monster hiding in plain sight.

But few know the horrors committed by Stephen Griffiths better than the officer who raided his chilling flat, greeted by the stench of death and horrific discoveries that made the “hair at the back of your neck stand up”.

Amazon Prime

The evil murderer was caught on camera launching an attack on Suzanne[/caption]

Between 2009 and 2010, the sick monster – now aged 55 – killed three sex workers operating close to his flat on the edge of Bradford’s red light district, cannibalising and dismembering them.

But the self-styled ‘Crossbow Cannibal’ – who fantasised about becoming a serial killer – saw his twisted spree come crashing down when chilling CCTV footage exposed his final, brutal act.

In May 2010, Griffiths was caught on film with a crossbow in hand, attacking a woman who had followed him into his flat in Bradford. 

The grainy footage showed her trying to flee, with Griffiths chasing her down. It was a scene so disturbing that the caretaker who discovered it immediately called his manager and then the police.

One of the officers brought in was Damian Sharp, a former firearms tactical advisor, who was urgently called to one of West Yorkshire Police’s major planning stations.

Speaking exclusively to The Sun, as part of our Meeting a Monster series, Damian recalls: “Whatever that security man’s motives were for checking the footage, it’s extremely good he did because it probably saved the lives of a lot of women.

“In regards to the woman in the footage, when we got the call, we had to make the assumption that she was still alive.

“She was dragged back into the flat and is essentially a hostage, and has been rendered unconscious.

“It was not a good situation at all, especially with the crossbow. We treated it as a hostage situation, but we were dealing with what we call a collapsing timeframe.

“We had to keep the wheels turning because every second counted. A hostage situation can turn fatal very quickly.”

The tactical plan was clear – surround the building, box Griffiths in, and storm the flat before he had a chance to act again.

Tasers were drawn, and officers prepared to strike.

“The officers barged in and he was in bed”, Damian recalls. “He didn’t know what was going on.

“The preemptive Taser was taken out because the officer thought there was no requirement for that. He was clearly not a threat. 

“He was cuffed, and then he changed from being compliant to a bit cocky almost and almost abrasive.

“And obviously, there was an immediate search of the apartment. Unfortunately, no female was found.”

In that moment, the team’s worst fears were confirmed. The woman in the footage was gone.

Griffiths had already killed her and disposed of her remains. 

Damian says during the search of the blood-smeared apartment, his team came across “unsettling” items in places like the oven, which gave credence to Griffiths’ cannibal nickname.

He says: “There were things in the bathtub and they were not nice. There was an awful smell in the apartment.

“The environment was unsettling. Enough to make the hair at the back of your neck stand up.”

In their investigation, police discovered that Griffiths tried unsuccessfully to get a second female into the apartment that same night, indicating that the incident caught on CCTV was not just an isolated case. 

81 different body pieces

Investigators quickly pieced together that the woman in the film was Suzanne Blamires, 36, a sex worker who had a “promising life” but fell in with the wrong crowd.  

A court later heard how 81 different pieces of Suzanne’s body were eventually found in or by the River Aire in Shipley.

She was Griffiths’ final victim, having already murdered 31-year-old Shelley Armitage in April 2010 and Susan Rushworth, 43, in June the previous year.

Damian, who has dealt with some of the UK’s most evil criminals, says: “As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don’t think it gets much worse than what he did.

“He showed no remorse for what he’d done. He bragged about it. He was quite pleased with himself.”

Sister’s horror

Now, a new Amazon Prime documentary, The Crossbow Cannibal, examines Griffiths’ heinous crimes and the vile way he gained his moniker.

In the film, his estranged sister Caroline breaks her silence for the first time to talk about her brother’s actions, suggesting she had long sensed he was hiding a darkness.

Describing the gut feeling she had when a news report talked about a killer, she says: “I was enjoying my fish and chips and the BBC news was on.

“It came on that a 40-year-old man from Bradford. Arrested. Body parts [were] found in a river.

As far as what he did to those girls, the Crossbow Cannibal is right up there. I don’t think it gets much worse than what he did. He showed no remorse for what he’d done.

Damian Sharp

“I made this funny noise – kind of sucked air through my teeth. And I just said, ‘My brother. I bet you that’s my brother’.”

She adds: “I watch true crime and I think that’s terrible. But then I also think my brother did worse than that.

“You hear about people chopping people up, and you think it’s awful, and then the words 81 pieces come into your head.

“And you never really come to terms with it. But it’s real. It happened.”

Sickest crimes

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His home near the red light district was described as a slaughterhouse[/caption]

After Griffiths’ arrest, he was quickly linked to Susan and Shelley’s disappearance, as cops feared another case of the Yorkshire Ripper, who killed more than 22 women.

His first kill came in June 2009 when he targeted Susan.

In the film, Christa Ackyord, a Yorkshire-based journalist, says: “I know mutual friends. I’ve talked to her brother. She literally went down the wrong track. It was all going so well for Susan.

“She was married, she had children, she was also a grandma.”

But Susan’s life fell apart when her marriage failed, and she turned to drugs and prostitution. She tried to get things back on track, but fell back into addiction.

She was last seen walking near the red light district in Bradford, where she’d sometimes sold sex to fund her habit.

That morning, Susan told a friend she was “just going to see a punter” – unaware she was about to walk into the hands of a cold-blooded killer. Her client was Stephen Griffiths.

He had spotted her before and lured her in under the guise of paying for sex. Once inside his flat, Susan was never seen alive again.

Sickening spree

There were multiple police appeals and efforts to locate Susan. Exactly what happened inside remains unknown – her body was never found.

Susan’s family were left devastated. Her daughter described her as a “kind, caring woman” who had struggled with addiction but was “trying to turn her life around”.

Her death marked the start of Griffiths’ sick killing spree – and for police, the nightmare was just beginning.

Shelley Armitage was just 31, and described as bright, ambitious, and dreaming of modelling and a life beyond Bradford’s streets.

Friends say she “could have been a beautiful model” and had a bubbly personality.

But a spiral of heroin and alcohol addiction drew her into sex work.

On April 26, 2010, she was last seen on CCTV walking along Rebecca Street in Bradford’s red light district .

She disappeared after leaving her flat in Allerton with a friend and never returned home . Her boyfriend, Robert Preston, filed a missing persons report two days later.

Again, several police appeals were launched with investigators pleading with the public for help to locate Shelley.

Griffiths had lured Shelley to his flat under the pretence of sex, then tied her up in his bathtub while filming the ordeal on his phone, police later revealed.

Mobile phones retrieved from his home showed images of Shelley’s naked, dead body with the words: “My sex slave” written on her.

Another video showed a nude body that had been bound. Griffith provided vile commentary describing himself as a “bloodbath artist”.

The murderer showed no remorse when detectives sat him down in the interview room.

He was calm, collected and even smug as he detailed his horrific crimes. He confessed that Susan was killed with a hammer. He then dismembered her body with machine tools, he said.

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Police divers in the River Aire made several gruesome discoveries[/caption]

Amazon Prime

Human remains belonging to Suzanne and Shelley were found in the water[/caption]

Griffiths also claimed he cooked and ate part of her flesh. In one shocking moment, he described eating the flesh of his victims as “part of the magic”.

He admitted to killing Shelley with a crossbow and dismembering her in the bath. He informed detectives that they would find traces of her body on the cooker in his home.

He recalled butchering Suzanne Blamires with a crossbow. After divulging the information, he stopped talking to the cops, letting them know that to become a serial killer, he only needed to kill three people.

Investigators quickly started piecing together a sinister motive – Griffith was after notoriety and infamy. He wanted to surpass his idol, serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper.

In the documentary, his sister says: “He once told me as well that if he couldn’t be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me.”

Crossbow Cannibal

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When asked his name in court, Griffiths chillingly said he was the ‘Crossbow Cannibal’[/caption]

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Griffiths was given a whole life order in December 2010[/caption]

When Griffiths first appeared in Bradford Crown Court on June 25, 2010, the room fell into stunned silence.

He stood in the dock, unshaven, wearing a grey prison sweatshirt. When asked to confirm his name, he chillingly replied: “I am the Crossbow Cannibal.”

It was the first time the public heard the nickname, a vile moniker he had clearly chosen for himself, designed to terrify.

Griffiths showed no remorse throughout the proceedings. The evidence against him was overwhelming, with CCTV footage and forensic evidence from his flat playing a crucial role.

Cops also had the phone video he filmed of himself tormenting Shelley Armitage in the bath, and remains recovered from the River Aire.

He once told me as well that if he couldn’t be famous, he would be infamous. And that if I was famous and was more famous than him, he would find me and kill me

Caroline Griffiths

In addition, blood samples from all three women were retrieved from his apartment, which was called a slaughterhouse in the media.

He was charged with three counts of murder and pleaded guilty to each one.

At his trial, the court heard how he had targeted vulnerable women working in Bradford’s red light district, luring them into his home before murdering and dismembering them.

In December 2010, Mr Justice Openshaw, sentencing Griffiths to a whole life order, told him: “You are a very dangerous man and in my judgment you should never be released from prison.”

Griffiths showed no reaction. He stood still and silent, not even looking at the victims’ families who sat weeping just metres away.

He was sent to Wakefield Prison, among some of Britain’s most notorious killers.

In November last year, Griffiths was attacked in prison by one of Suzanne Blamires’ friends who was also incarcerated.

‘Worst fears’

Suzanne was from a good family, but turned to drugs and prostitution after falling on hard times[/caption]

Shelley’s family says she was on the verge of turning her life around before the murder[/caption]

Today, Griffiths’ sister only has one question – why.

She says: “I just want to ask him why, probably. Why did he do this, and who are you? I’d probably tell him that I loved him as well. People might be shocked to hear that, but he’s my brother. My big brother.”

Christa Ackyord says the attention must always be brought back to Griffiths’ victims and their families.

She explains: “For their families, they were people that they loved. People that they tried to help. People that they were desperately worried about. And their worst fears came true.

“And they ended up meeting a psychopath. A cold-hearted killer who wanted to be famous.”

Amazon Prime

Stephen Griffiths killed his victims in an attempt to be as infamous as the serial killers he idolised[/caption]

JAKE PAUL called out FIVE rivals after beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr – including two world champions and Tommy Fury.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer cruised past former middleweight world champion Chavez Jr over ten rounds.

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WBC champion Badou Jack is also on the list[/caption]

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Tommy Fury beat Jake Paul in 2023[/caption]

And amid a chorus of boos inside the Honda Center – Paul called out WBA and WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez – who fought on his undercard.

He said: “I want tougher fighters. I want to be world champion. Zurdo looked slow as s*** tonight, that’d be easy work too.

“Badou Jack, I want everybody. Anthony Joshua, Gervonta (Davis) and Tommy, stop running.”

Fury, 26, handed Paul, 28, his first and so far only defeat after his split-decision win in 2023.

Ramirez, 34, retained his cruiserweight titles by beating Yuniel Dorticos on the undercard and Jack, 41, is the current WBC champion.

Paul has continued to call out heavyweight superstar Joshua, 35, and lightweight Davis, 30, following their talks for an exhibition earlier this year.

The American has put himself in line for a world ranking following victory over Chavez Jr, 39, with Paul’s eyes on the championship gold.

He said: “That’s the goal, that’s why we’re here. That’s the only thing I haven’t accomplished in the sport of boxing, right?

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“Knockout of The Year, most-watched fight, that’s the last thing on the list.”

Paul’s promotional partner Nakisa Bidarian added: “How do you not rank Jake Paul after that performance?

“Where he totally neutralised a much more experience and more accomplished fighter than himself.”

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Gervonta Davis is also on Jake Paul’s hit-list[/caption]

JAKE PAUL has sent a classy message to former opponent Ben Askren.

Askren, 40, was knocked out by the YouTuber-turned-boxer back in 2021 and has been in hospital recently.

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Jake Paul issued a classy message to Ben Askren[/caption]

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The MMA star is in need of a lung transplant[/caption]

The former MMA star has been needing treatment for weeks due to complications from severe pneumonia.

He will need to undergo a lung transplant and has been placed on the waiting list as he continues to fight alongside his beloved wife Amy.

Paul, 28, beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in California by unanimous decision on Saturday night.

He dominated the bout, with judges awarding him nine out of the ten rounds.

But it was after the fight that Paul sent his classy message to his old adversary.

Paul urged fans to donate to Askren to help cover the astronomical costs of Askren’s operation.

It comes after it was confirmed that his insurance would not cover the lung transplant.

Askren’s family have launched a non-profit fund on Help Hope Live to help contribute to the costs.

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Paul also made the commitment to make a big donation alongside his brother Logan Paul.

He said: “Say a prayer for Ben Askren and for his family.

“We all need to support him. Everyone should go donate to him.”

Meanwhile, Paul also spoke about Askren’s health battle before the fight with Chavez Jr.

He insisted that he was willing to help Askren’s family if needed.

He said: “My prayers go out to him. I feel sorry for his family, I can’t imagine what they’re going through.

“I just hope that he can recover because there’s so much more to life besides fighting and careers.

“I’m wishing him the best and I’m here if they need any support.”

MICHAEL McGrath has vowed to nail gangsters like Daniel Kinahan.

The Fianna Fail EU Commissioner will work to ensure thugs can be extradited from Dubai.

Mr McGrath is responsible for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection.

And he spoke out after Kinahan member Sean McGovern, 39, was extradited to Ireland on May 29 to face charges including murder.

While there isn’t a single EU-wide extradition treaty with Dubai, Ireland recently signed a bilateral agreement with the United Arab Emirates.

Speaking to The Irish Sun on Sunday from his office in Brussels, Mr McGrath said he is “very anxious” to secure a long-term deal for the bloc with the UAE.

The ex-Finance Minister added: “I’m personally determined to extend the ­network of agreements that we have on judicial co-operation with third countries.”

The number of extraditions to Europe from Dubai has increased in recent months.

Earlier this month, footie star Quincy Promes, 33, was booted back to the Netherlands to serve a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence for stabbing his cousin and drug smuggling.

The ex-Ajax star was arrested at his home in Dubai after a request by the Dutch police.

Mr McGrath revealed there was a “very successful visit to the UAE” in April.

This involved Eurojust, which is “focused on judicial co-operation on an international basis”.

Mr McGrath added: “So we work very, very closely to increase the network of third country agreements we have, and the UAE would be among the list of countries that I would like to improve the level of co-operation with.”

IRELAND has been beset by anti-social behaviour on public transport for a number of years.

The Dail heard last month that there was an “urgent need” for security personnel on Dublin’s buses and trains, citing a “steady stream” of violent incidents.

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The rise in incidents ranging from verbal abuse and intimidation to physical assaults has endangered passengers and staff, and also damaged trust in the transport system.

In the run up to the general election, Fianna Fail promised to create a new transport police that would be independent of An Garda Siochana.

This force will operate under the National Transport Authority.

Writing in the Irish Sun on Sunday today, Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien and TD for Dublin Fingal East says this will protect passengers and staff and also builds public confidence.

MY priority for the next five years of this government is to drive forward a transformative programme of investment in sustainable and modern transport infrastructure to boost economic growth for the country.

I want to continue to invest in reliable, accessible, and efficient transport links between our towns, cities, and rural areas. This includes expanding our bus and rail fleets, building new rail stations, and accelerating the electrification of public transport.

We are progressing several major projects nationwide that will significantly improve Ireland’s transport system.

BusConnects is a transformative programme of investment in the bus system, providing better bus services across our cities.

In Dublin, the major infrastructure element of BusConnects comprises the Core Bus Corridor schemes.

These aim to provide over 200km of enhanced bus and cycling infrastructure in Dublin.

WORK PROGRESSING

I am pleased to say that An Bord Pleanála has approved all 12 Core Bus Corridor applications in Dublin. My department aims to have the first of the Core Bus Corridors in construction this year.

We have also received planning approval for DART+ West and full approval for DART+ South West and the new DART+ Fleet, currently undergoing testing, which will start rolling out on the Northern line from Dublin to/from Drogheda in 2026.

In April 2025, I was pleased to open a new ‘through’ platform at Kent Station in Cork city.

Works are also continuing on the Cork Area Commuter Rail Programme Phase 1 works and I look forward to these being complete in 2026. Luas Cork, the new light rail project for the city is also progressing.

For public transport to function effectively and accommodate a growing number of journeys, safety must remain at the core of policy and planning.

A reliable and secure system not only protects passengers and staff but also builds public confidence, encouraging greater use of sustainable transport.

One of my key priorities is addressing safety on public transport. While significant progress has been made in recent years through increased investment in safety measures, antisocial behaviour — or even the perception of it — remains a serious challenge.

SAFE AND SECURE NETWORK

Those who rely on or work within our public transport system must feel secure.

That is why I have initiated work to establish a dedicated Transport Security Force, which was a key commitment in the Programme for Government and a priority for me and my colleagues in Fianna Fáil.

Just this week, I met with the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan and his officials to work on establishing a security force, with their input and support.

While the past few years have seen significant progress on investment in safety measures, antisocial behaviour remains a serious issue, and it is those who regularly use and work within our public transport network who are most directly impacted by any safety or security incidents.

Work in the Department for Transport is advancing around identifying the necessary legislative proposals to progress the Transport Security Force commitment, in conjunction with the NTA.

The decisions over the appropriate model for the Transport Security Force are in the preliminary stages of the deliberative process.

The introduction of such a force will require the development of legislation too which can have a significant lead time, but I will keep the public updated as we progress through the various stages.

Underpinning this commitment to delivering a safe and secure public transport network, the ongoing interim work on public transport safety will continue, as will the support and funding for operator measures, such as the recent extension of the Dublin Bus Security Pilot Scheme.

EMERGENCY ALARMS

All public transport operators are continuing to expend significant resources introducing measures to counter the impact of antisocial behaviour.

For example, all services are now fully fitted with CCTV cameras, various text alert systems and control centres have been introduced.

Across the operating companies, security screens and safety cabins are provided where possible for driver safety. There are emergency alarms onboard all vehicles which can be activated by drivers to contact their central control centres.

As Minister for Transport I am continuing to work closely with industry stakeholders to identify measures to improve passenger safety.

We have established a public transport safety working group, with representatives from the public transport operators, the commercial bus sector, the NTA, unions, An Garda Síochána, the Department of Justice, and passenger representative groups.

I will continue to engage with operators and unions and will continue to work with all stakeholders to provide safe, sustainable public transport.

THE family of missing man Mark ‘Rubber’ Duffy fear he has been killed and secretly buried by a drugs gang.

Mark’s distraught sister Leia Duffy, 39, made the claim as detectives continue to investigate the dad of two’s disappearance on October 3, 2022.

An Garda Siochana

Lorraine O'Sullivan - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin

Mark, 43, who was vulnerable and battled addiction, was last seen alive at 2.45pm as he crossed the Commons Road in Navan, Co Meath.

He was also seen collecting his social welfare payment that morning.

Despite extensive searches over the last two-and-a-half years, Gardai have been unable to locate him — or establish any “proof of life”.

As his heartbroken family prepare to meet investigators, they revealed for the first time how they believe he was killed after he was wrongly accused of stealing drugs from a local mob.

The family also suffered further tragedy when Mark’s ex-partner Sharon passed away from natural causes on December 29, 2002.

Leia told The Irish Sun on Sunday: “Even if the Kinahans had been after Mark he would have returned home to be with his children when their mother passed away.

“We firmly believe he was lured to his death and then buried somewhere because they wrongly believed he had taken their drugs.

“Mark didn’t have a bad bone in his body and there’s no way he would have done something like this.

“He was about to start a new job as a foreman in Cork and would never have jeopardised this.

“The Gardai are aware of this and we have no doubt that this case should now be a murder inquiry.”

She continued: “Mark loved the ground his kids walked on and would never ever have abandoned them. Our family is broken over this.

“He didn’t have the means to disappear and we know he is dead. Anytime I needed him he was there and it’s hard to believe he is gone.

“This is not about revenge or retribution — we just want someone to make an anonymous call and tell us where he is so we can bury him with my father Fergus.

“We don’t want to be like those other poor families who have had to wait years for answers — we just want him back.

“I think he didn’t see what was coming and was lured to his death as he was so trusting.”

MURDER PROBE CALLS

Mark’s son Evan also spoke for the first time about his family’s ongoing trauma.

He said: “I don’t care about people being held accountable — I just want my dad home.

“We just want to lay him to rest — we can’t continue like this. Our lives have been turned upside down,we just want a place to go so we can pay our respects to him.

“My dad would never have left his children this long, we just need one person to tell us where he is.”

Leia added: “When we meet with the Gardai we will be pressing for a murder inquiry to be established.

“We want the full resources of a murder inquiry because my brother didn’t just vanish into thin air.

“He was last seen near the railway lines. Mark’s addiction only took hold after he struggled with the passing of his father in December 2021.

“He was in a bad place in the ten months before he went missing and did not deserve this.

“If he did have some kind of debt then it could have been resolved — so many lives have been affected by this nightmare.”

Lorraine O'Sullivan - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin

Lorraine O'Sullivan - Commissioned by The Sun Dublin

As the investigation continues, we can reveal officers are examining data from Mark’s Snapchat account after detectives obtained a court order in the US.

They’ve also taken 40 statements and continue to trawl CCTV footage from the day of his disappearance.

We also understand they have identified a “person of interest”, who’s currently in prison.

He was the individual who had driven Mark to collect his social welfare payment.

Cops have also identified three other individuals, but none have yet given any credible information.

We truly believe Mark is not alive anymore because there is not a shadow of doubt he would have come back — the kids were his life.”

Mark’s mother, Martina

Detectives believe the inmate is the same man who brought Mark to collect his social welfare payment on the same morning that he went missing.

They are also examining claims a number of individuals were overheard in a pub speaking about how Mark would “never be found”.

Officers recovered Mark’s social welfare card and receipts but have yet to locate his phone.

At present, the case is classified as a “missing persons” case.

‘I KNOW HE’S GONE’

Mark’s mother Martina also urged anyone with information to come forward, adding: “My son was the life and soul of the party and we all just miss him so much.

“I know he’s gone and I won’t be around forever to lay him to rest with my husband.”

She continued: “It breaks my heart seeing his poor children suffer and he would be very proud of them because they have handled this trauma with great dignity.”

Martina added: “He has been threatened in the past because of his problems with addiction. But nobody deserves this.

“It’s awful to think he has been out there for almost three years.

MARK ‘POSED NO THREAT’

“I don’t know how anyone could do this to someone who just lived for his family. Mark could barely walk because of the limp he had from a previous accident and posed no threat to anyone.

“When he went missing it would have been a busy time — with school collections — and someone must have seen something.

“He interacted with a number of other people throughout the day but none of them have ever reached out and given us any sort of an explanation as to what he was doing.”

His mother went on to say: “We truly believe Mark is not alive anymore because there is not a shadow of doubt he would have come back — the kids were his life.

“He hasn’t got a passport, he didn’t even have a wallet and hasn’t been anywhere.

“So we know he has been taken from us.”

Anyone with any knowledge of Mark’s whereabouts is asked to contact Navan Garda station on 046-9036100 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111.

Collect image sourced by Stephen Breen

A DODGY solicitor caged over a property scam believes he will be killed by Kinahan cartel hitman Alan Wilson.

Herbert Kilcline, 64, made the claim to The Irish Sun before he was jailed for two and a half years last week.

The fraudster used false deeds to change the ownership of two Dublin properties.

Kilcline – who worked on the €250,000 scam with millionaire Philip Marley, 53 – believes Wilson “won’t rest” until he is dead.

Although Kilcline is being held in Mountjoy and Wilson in the Midlands Prison, he insists the feared gangster still has “the connections” to target him.

Kilcline maintains he will always be a target after making a statement to Gardai about the murder of teenager Marioara Roastas, 18, in 2008.

Wilson was charged with her murder in 2012 but was cleared by a court in 2014.

The non-practicing solicitor claims he will always be in the sights of the notorious criminal.

Speaking to us before his conviction, Kilcline said: “I will be a target for Alan Wilson until the day I die.

“He has never forgiven me for making a statement to the Gardai about Marioara Rostas.

“I’m not a master criminal and don’t regret coming forward in the Rostas investigation.

“When Wilson gets out he will be baying for blood and that blood will be mine.”

Wilson, 46, is serving time over a failed 2017 plot to murder a Hutch gang associate. He is due to be released in 2028.

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