Lusk inquest: Garda who shot unarmed raider acted in self-defence

A MEMBER of the Garda Emergency Unit (ERU) who shot an unarmed raider in the course of a foiled post office robbery in Lusk believed that an unarmed raider had a gun when he shot him, a jury at an inquest has found.

Dublinmen Colm Griffin, 33, of Canon Lillis Avenue, and Eric Hopkins, 24, of Lower Rutland Street, Dublin 1, were shot dead by members of the ERU as they tried to rob a post office at the Village Store, Lusk, on the morning of May 26, 2005.

The nine-member jury yesterday agreed with the coroner that the ERU detective who shot Mr Hopkins, Det Garda A, believed Mr Hopkins was armed at the time he shot him and returned a narrative verdict in accordance with the evidence in the cases of both Griffin and Hopkins.