2 weeks Ago By Stephen Breen
ONE of Dublin’s most prolific burglars turned to robbing houses after he was threatened by Kinahan cartel hitman Michael Carroll over a drug debt. Lee Conlon, 46, was warned he would be shot over the unpaid €2,000, The Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal. Gardai believe Carroll, 45, was recruited by cartel lieutenant Liam Brannigan, 43, to threaten Conlon because of money he owed them from his time in Mountjoy prison .
But Carroll never targeted the childhood pal he grew up with in Dublin’s south inner city because he bolted to the UK after botched hits. He failed to kill Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch’s brother John in September 2016 and Hutch friend Edward Staunton in March 2017. A source said: “Conlon owed money to Brannigan and when he wasn’t paying it Carroll was asked to put pressure on him.
“Carroll issued a few warnings to Conlon but nothing ever came of it. “Conlon knew that Carroll was in jail but he still knew that he would have to pay the money because of who Carroll was associated with. “Conlon turned to robberies and burglaries because he was desperate to pay off Brannigan’s associates.
” Investigators believe Conlon — who has 111 convictions — paid cash to the cartel from two terrifying robberies. In the first shocking incident on November 22, 2022, the thug broke into an apartment on Dublin ’s Montague Street armed with a knife. During the raid he forced his way into a bedroom where a couple were sleeping with their five-week-old baby.
Conlon, who was carrying a large knife, was confronted by the brave dad and fled with items worth almost €600. They included the couple’s key to their apartment. In a victim impact statement, revealed for the first time, they said: “The intruder was armed with a knife and this added a whole new level of terror .
“This incident has fundamentally changed our lives, filling what should have been a joyful and peaceful time with fear and anxiety. “Our home, which once represented comfort and security , has become a place of fear and reminders of our vulnerability. “This experience has left us with emotional scars that continue to affect us every day.
” Weeks later — on January 16 — he targeted innocent people again when he raided a Credit Union in Ballyfermot. During that incident, he called the employee a “f****** bitch”. And he threatened to shoot two customers — including an 83-year-old woman.
Despite wearing a mask he was later identified from CCTV after Gardai viewed footage from 90 other premises. He pointed the gun at the staff and fled with €1,200 cash. The investigation into the raid at the couple’s apartment was run by Det Garda William McCarthy.
And the probe into the robbery at the Credit Union was headed by Sgt Matthew Kennifick from Kevin Street station. Following his crime sprees, Conlon received a 51⁄2-year sentence for aggravated burglary during the raid on the apartment. He was also handed a 41⁄2-year sentence for the credit union raid.
Conlon is serving a separate sentence for other offences, including a ram-raid on the Hugo Boss shop in Dublin’s Grafton Street in January of last year. The final 41⁄2-year sentence was suspended which means Conlon will walk free in 2029. A source said: “The streets will be a lot safer now that Conlon’s behind bars.
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