CAB told ‘mind your own business’ as they target Drogheda mob boss Owen Maguire

Officers were told he wasn’t at home despite believing he was there and told to “mind your own business” when they asked questions.

Maguire is regarded as the joint head of the Price-Maguire Organised Criminal Gang and which has been involved in a lethal gangland feud in Drogheda since 2018.

He is described as “a major scale drug dealer” supplying drugs in much of the country’s north-east area who survived being shot six times in a murder bid at his home.

At the first attempt in August this year CAB called to his home at St Anthony’s Park in Drogheda which is described as having steel grates on all the windows.

Two teenage girls informed the CAB officers Maguire was not there that “he doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Both girls were asked their names to which they replied “mind your own business” and refused to call Maguire on the phone in the officer’s presence.

“I believed that Owen Maguire was present in the property at the time,” the officer stated in an affidavit used in the High Court to seek a substitute service order.

On the same date officers also called to his brother Brendan Maguire’s home next door which appeared empty with a side door open.

As they walked away from the property a cousin of the two men approached them and became verbally abusive towards to local members of the gardaí who were present.

Four days later they tried again and one of the teenage girls who again refused to give her name said Maguire was at the physio, but again refused to call him.

At a separate location on the same day Maguire’s mother Kathleen told gardaí she didn’t want to get involved with his business when asked to call him.

When a mobile phone number for him was found the male who answered told the officer “you have the wrong number” and which then rang out when called again.

On the third occasion the officer explained to the woman, who they had now identified, they wanted to give him a box containing documents in relation to the High Court and a letter explaining the process.

She replied “I can’t take that box” and after going back inside and then re-appearing told officers that Owen Maguire would not take the box.

The officer, in his affidavit said that he knew Owen Maguire is in a paralysed state in a wheelchair after an attempt on his life in July 2018 in which he was shot six times.

He also stated he believed Maguire to have been present at his home on all three occasions when they called and that he had instructed the woman not to engage with the CAB officers.

Last month CAB also applied to serve orders on Brendan Maguire outside of the jurisdiction which was granted.

The High Court heard that Maguire is currently living in the Rochdale area of Manchester in the UK.

Judge Alex Owens said he would have 28 days to enter an appearance in the matter from the time papers are served on him.

Also granted was an order for a substitute service on Owen Maguire who officers believe has deliberately avoided being served official papers in relation to the CAB case.

This will allow them to leave the box of documents at the door of his home.