MAN convicted of a machete attack on his neighbour in front of gardai is a senior member of a notorious Dublin gang.

Armed robber Robert Freeman (27) of Deansrath, Clondalkin, learnt yesterday that he will not serve extra jail time for the attack on Brian Murphy on July 21, 2009.

Dublin Circuit Court heard gardai believed there was an on-going dispute between the two men over drugs in the Clondalkin area.

The Herald can reveal that Murphy was a close pal of jailed crime lord Karl Breen at the time.

Tensions

Freeman's mob have been feuding with Breen's so-called Infamous D22 gang for years and the machete attack sparked a major escalation in tensions in the summer of 2009 which ultimately led to the murder of Breen's enforcer Pierce Reid (24), who was shot dead outside his home just a few weeks later.

The background to the machete attack was outlined in court when a garda explained that Murphy had risen in the early hours to collect his wife from the airport.

At around 2am he heard a noise and went outside to find shots had been fired at his house.

Gardai arrived but when they asked Murphy about it he told them it was "none of their business" and that he was going to take care of it himself.

Murphy then left his home and passed by Freeman who was standing in his own front garden.

The two started arguing and pushing each other before Freeman went back in his house and closed the door. He emerged a short time later with a machete and struck Murphy four times on the head and body. Gardai saw the attack but were too far away to stop it.

Gardai agreed that after Freeman re-entered his house, the victim's son came running through the gardens 'like a madman' and embedded a knife in his front door.

The victim was brought to hospital and later made a full recovery. Freeman was arrested and claimed he acted in self-defence because Mr Murphy was being aggressive towards him. Freeman has been a major target for gardai for years and earlier this month he was given an 11 year jail sentence for his role in the robbery of weapons from a firearms dealer in Co Tipperary.

Yesterday, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a three year term for the machete assault but ordered it to run concurrently to the on-going sentence.

On January 9, 2009, Freeman and his gang stole 42 rifles, shotguns and handguns, some of which were later sold to one of the feuding drugs gangs operating in Limerick.

In 2002, Freeman was convicted of being involved in an armed bank robbery in Co Tipperary.

Kidnapping

He is a close associate of two brothers from the Clondalkin area who remain in garda custody today after a car was blown up in Ballyfermot on Sunday night. These young men are considered "violent and unpredictable" criminals by gardai.

Separately, Freeman's father is veteran armed robber Thomas Freeman (55) who is currently serving a 12-year-sentence for his role in a tiger kidnapping in Co Galway.

His brother Barry Freeman (24) was jailed for six years in 2008 for stabbing another man while another of his brothers, Alan (30), received an eight-year suspended sentence for a bank robbery in Co Laois.