Fat Freddie gang divide sparks violent rampage

A violent split in the murderous gang has led to 10 attacks in the last 24 hours, including:

- a fragmentation grenade exploded in a house

- innocent couple targeted by gang members

- five shots were fired at another residence

- armed gunmen threatened an innocent woman

The 10 incidents -- ranging from gun and grenade attacks to broken windows -- occurred between Monday and last night, as the violence spilled out of control.

The attacks, which also saw windows and a car damaged, followed a split among street dealers in Thompson's gang.

Six of 'Fat' Freddie's young gang members are involved in the violence, the Herald understands.

Two suspects were arrested overnight.

Two innocent people narrowly avoided serious injury when a military-grade fragmentation grenade was thrown into their home on Downpatrick Road at 10.45pm last night.

The couple are not involved in crime, but were targeted because of their connection to one of the gang members.

Their home was targeted in revenge for two shootings at a house at Windmill Park in the preceding 24 hours. The residents in that house were lucky to escape injury.

A source told the Herald: “This is an internal row within Thompson's outfit. The specific motive is not yet known but a dispute over missing drugs or cash is most likely.

“Because the criminals themselves are moving around, completely innocent people connected to them are being targeted instead. It's shocking.”

Gardai believe the explosive used last night was a lethal Yugoslav fragmentation device that was smuggled into Dublin by the INLA in 2007.

The latest violence began last Monday when windows were smashed at the same house on Downpatrick Road.

In retaliation, two shots were fired from a .22 pistol at a house in Windmill Park that evening.

The gunmen later returned to Windmill Park and fired three further shots at the house.

The attacks continued yesterday morning when windows were smashed at two locations on Sperrin Road and Crumlin Park, between 8am and 9.30am.

Shotgun

At lunchtime yesterday, a man wielding a shotgun was seen driving around in a car in the Windmill Park area.

The car then drove to the Saul Road area where the shotgun was pointed at a woman who looked out a window.

Following the grenade attack last night, a number of thugs made their way to Crumlin Park, smashed windows in a house and vandalised a car.

Another car was also smashed at Sperrin Road and a house attacked on Saul Road.

Gardai are on high alert as further attacks are expected.

The thugs involved in the dispute are relatively young members of the gang.

A source said: “They work as street dealers and muscle for older members. It’s clear that discipline is breaking down if they’re feuding like this.”

Freddie Thompson is likely to be furious about the in-fighting as he hides out in England.

He is currently the subject of a European Arrest Warrant in Spain and can be arrested on sight by gardai.

There is already a significant armed garda presence in the Crumlin area after the ERU was deployed last week.

That followed an attack on Thompson’s brother and sisterin- law at a bar on Wexford Street last Sunday week.