I feared for my life, says garda who shot raiders dead

A detective garda who shot dead two raiders told an inquest today that there was no doubt in his mind an armed gunman was prepared to kill him.

The specially-trained officer told an inquest he feared for his life and customers and staff in the Village Store in Lusk, north Co Dublin, during the foiled post office robbery.

Det Gda A, a member of the emergency response unit, was the first of seven gardai giving evidence from behind a curtain to protect their identities.

He admitted shooting Colm Griffin, 33, of Canon Lillis Avenue, and Eric Hopkins, 24, of Lower Rutland Street, both Dublin, in May 2005.

Det Gda A told Dublin City Coroner’s Court both he and Det Gda B were assigned to pose as builders shopping in the store with the aim of preventing the raiders entering the premises and securing the safety of staff and customers inside.

About five minutes later, via an ear piece, he was told the raiders were at the rear of the store.

He said he believed the raiders would attempt to enter via the rear door of the post office, but as he got in to position inside he heard loud banging.

Det Gda A said there was then one loud bang and a spray of glass through the front counter.

“I was positive that was gun fire,” he said.

“I was fearful the raiders were going to get through the screen.

“I decided at that point it was better going through in to the shop floor.”

Det Gda A said he called out “armed garda on duty”.

“I thought it would give me a better chance to arrest those people,” he said.

“When I opened the door outward there was an armed robber about six feet away from me.

“He was holding a gun in both hands at chest level.”

The officer said the gunman pushed the gun out directly out at him.

“There was no mistake in his movement,” he continued.

“There was absolutely no doubt in my mind he was prepared to kill me.”

Det Gda A said he discharged the first round at the gunman, later known to be Griffin, but as he fell the raider continued to aim his weapon at the officer.

“I felt he was still going to discharge it so I made the decision to discharge a round a second time.”

The second bullet hit him in the head.

The garda said as Griffin fell he spotted a second raider approaching and putting his hand on Griffin’s gun.

He said he called on the man continuously to drop the weapon and get on the ground, but instead he took off to his right and turned to face him.

“I thought he was challenging me,” he said.

“I believed he had taken possession of the gun.

“I feared for my life and for people in the shop.

“At that stage I discharged a third shot from my pistol to the torso area.”

Hopkins – who was unarmed – died from the single gun shot wound.

Earlier, a third armed robber who surrendered at the scene claimed the elite gardai gave no warning before shooting his two accomplices.

Convicted criminal Gavin Farrelly said he never heard anyone shout “armed garda” until after shots were fired.

Farrelly – who pounded on the glass hatch of the post office counter 12 times with a sledgehammer terrifying staff inside – was jailed for 10 years for his part in the crime.

Witnesses who feared for their lives previously told coroner Dr Brian Farrell they heard officers shout “armed garda, put down your weapons” a number of times before any gunfire.

“I know what I heard,” Farrelly told the hearing.

“I remembered it like it happened five minutes ago.”

Farrelly said he walked in to the store through the deli counter first, followed by Griffin and Hopkins, and as the bigger of the three, his job was to smash the glass partition.

“I had the sledgehammer and started banging on the hatch,” he said. I didn’t hear anyone shouting armed garda.

“I heard three shots. I thought it was Colm shooting warning shots. Then I heard ’armed garda’.”

Farrelly said he couldn’t see anything and didn’t know Griffin and Hopkins were dead until he heard the news on RTE on the way to Blanchardstown Garda Station in an unmarked car.

The inquests resume on Monday.