“This was a planned and shocking act of cold-blooded criminality”
The Skoda Octavia taxi at the crime scene(Image: PSNI)
Police have released a new image from the scene one year after a taxi driver was shot by masked men in West Belfast.
Detectives investigating the attempted murder of the driver on February 23, 2025, have reiterated their appeal for information. The appeal, in the run up to the one-year anniversary of the attack, is backed by a renewed reward of up to £20,000 from the charity Crimestoppers.
The victim, Sean O’Reilly, then aged 49, was shot as he sat inside a white Skoda Octavia taxi in the Bell Steel Manor area. Two gunmen approached the taxi on foot, with a number of shots fired at the victim at around 10.25am.
READ MORE: PSNI issue CCTV of Belfast attempted murder suspectsREAD MORE: Poleglass shooting: PSNI release pics of clothes that may have been worn by gunman
The gunmen made off on foot from the scene. Police have described the attack as “ruthless and targeted.” The PSNI have issued an image showing the scene, along with the victim’s taxi.
A man, then aged 50, was charged with attempted murder to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on May 15, 2025.
A second man who was arrested on May 8, 2025, then aged 61, and subsequently released on bail pending further enquiries, has since been reported to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Detective Inspector Gina Quinn said: “The attack, which took place on a Sunday morning, 23 February in 2025, was a ruthless and targeted attack with one intention – to take a man’s life. It took place in broad daylight, in a busy area of west Belfast, where any passer-by could also have been seriously injured or killed.
“We believe that two gunmen approached the taxi, on foot, from a path that runs between the Glenwood and Laurelbank areas. One male was in dark clothing, while the second was wearing a hi-vis yellow jacket. A number of shots were fired at the victim. This was at approximately 10.25am.
“The two then made off on foot, via the same path, crossing the Stewartstown Road and entering the Glasvey area. At this stage, the hi-vis jacket has been removed. They then crossed the Twinbrook Road, before entering the Gardenmore Road area just before 10.40am.”
Detective Inspector Quinn continued: “From subsequent searches in the Glasvey area, we recovered a number of items, including firearms, a baseball cap and, what we believe, is the jacket worn by one of the gunmen.”
She added: “It’s now one year on, but please be assured that our determination to bring those responsible to justice remains steadfast.
“This was a planned and shocking act of cold-blooded criminality, and one which has absolutely no place in today’s society.
“I am taking this opportunity to reiterate our appeal to anyone with information, or who may have seen or captured footage of the attack or those movements before or after the attack, to do the right thing and contact detectives on 101.
“I’m also keen to stress that Crimestoppers, who are a charity and independent of police, can be contacted with total anonymity. The charity is offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information received directly that leads to the arrest and conviction of any person or people linked to the attempted murder. With Crimestoppers, calls are never recorded, there’s no caller line display or 1471 facility, and computer IP addresses can never be traced.”
Contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, with 100% anonymity, on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org
To ensure you don’t miss out on all the latest from Belfast Live, be sure to make us your preferred source on Google.
