Detectives investigating the murder of Mr Little believe he was shot as part of an ongoing feud between rival criminal gangs
04:00, 17 Jun 2026Updated 07:50, 17 Jun 2026
(Image: Niall Carson/PA Wire)
A Garda investigation into the suspected gangland murder of a young man whose body was found beside his burnt-out vehicle close to the M1 motorway seven years ago is an ongoing and complex case, an inquest has heard.
Seán Little, 22, from Kilbarron Avenue, Kilmore, Dublin 5 was shot dead at around 11pm on May 21, 2019 just off the M1 close to Junction 5 outside Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
His body was located next to his burnt-out Vauxhall Insignia on a laneway at Rowans Little which leads to Walshestown, Co Dublin.
A postmortem confirmed Mr Little had died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest.
At a brief sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Tuesday, Detective Inspector Jim McDermott applied for an adjournment of the inquest into Mr Little’s death on the basis that the Garda investigation into the circumstances of his murder is ongoing.
Det Insp McDermott told coroner Clare Keane that it was a complex case.
“It is going to be some more time before a file goes to the DPP,” he added.
Det Insp McDermott said the investigation’s main line of inquiry related to a witness who is currently outside the jurisdiction.
He explained that the matter involved a European arrest warrant which added to the “legal complexity” of the case.
The inspector said the deceased’s family were aware of progress in the ongoing investigation.
Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the inquest for a further update on December 15, 2026.
The deceased was known to gardaí and was believed to have been involved in organised crime with links to the Kinahan crime cartel, although he had no serious criminal convictions.
Detectives investigating the murder of Mr Little believe he was shot as part of an ongoing feud between rival criminal gangs in the Coolock area and was lured to the scene of the fatal shooting by someone he knew and trusted.
Gardaí also suspect a black saloon-type vehicle that was seen following the deceased’s car up the off-ramp at Junction 5 and rejoining the M1 towards Dublin a few minutes later at around 11.10pm. may have been involved in his murder.
The vehicle was travelling at speed and with its headlights off as it came down the on-ramp to the motorway.
A week after Mr Little’s murder, another man, Hamid Sanambar , 34 – an Iranian national who was also known as Mohammad Ali Khorram – was shot dead outside the deceased’s home as people attended his wake on May 28, 2019.
Khorram, who is believed to have engaged in criminal activity with Mr Little, was suspected of having played a role in organising his former associate’s murder.
Gardaí also suspected that he may have been involved in the murder of Jordan Davis, 22, in Darndale, Dublin the day after Mr Little’s murder as well as two other incidents in which males received gunshot wounds.
In August 2020, the deceased’s father, Stephen Little, 53, was sentenced to six years in prison over plans to avenge his son’s murder by threatening to kill the individual who took his son’s life.
Little was sentenced by the Special Criminal Court after pleading guilty to the unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol at Lein Park, Harmonstown, Dublin 5 on September 14, 2019.
The court heard that he had told gardaí after his arrest that “had you given me another hour, I would have killed the bastard that killed him.”
It also heard that the case against Little would have been weaker and he may not have been charged if he had not made such comments.
Little’s co-accused, Edward McDonnell, 62, of Waterside Apartments, New Ross, Co Wexford was also sentenced to nine years in prison for the same offence.
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