IRA leader ‘Jock’ Davison shot dead in the Markets area of south Belfast this week

DETECTIVES are working on the theory the hitman execution of IRA godfather Jock Davison has its seeds in his bloody past.

Last night a 27-year-old man was arrested in Belfast and taken in for questioning about the murder in the Markets district on Tuesday morning.

A 41-year-old man, Brendan Devine, was last night released unconditionally by detectives from the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team probing Davison’s murder.

Davison, 47, was shot dead as he walked to work in the Markets area of city on Tuesday morning.

Police searched a property in the New Lodge area of north Belfast on Tuesday night as part of the overall investigation.

Detectives do not believe dissident republicans were behind the attack.

However, sources have told Belfast Daily say the murder may be linked to a number of murders from Davison’s past life as Provo gunman.

One is the murder of the Belfast leader of the Irish People’s Liberation Organisation (IPLO) Sammy Ward who was dead by Davison in the Short Strand area in October 1992.

His murder came as part of a ‘Night of the Long Knives’ purge against the drug dealing activities of the IPLO.

The second theory is the murder of drug dealer in April 1995 of Mickey ‘Moneybags’ Mooney.

The IRA carried out the murder in the 39 Steps Bars in Ann Street under its flag of convenience name Direct Action Against Drugs.

Although sources say Davison was not the gunman, they say he was a senior figure in DAAD and directed its operations.