Inquest told of gun victim's family feud

22/06/2006 - 18:35:06
A father-of-10 who was found shot dead in a pool of blood had been involved in a long-running feud with members of his extended family, an inquest heard tonight.

Several spent shotgun cartridges were found lying near the body of Gerard Fitzgerald, 48, at the junction of Oldtown Road and Shanliss Road in Finglas on November 21, 2001.

His son, David Fitzgerald, said his father had been attacked a number of times and there had been a previous attempt on his life in the 12 months prior to his killing.

“There is hassle in our family for a long time,” he told the Dublin City Coroner’s Court.

The fatal attack in November 2001 was the second time the 48-year-old had received gunshot wounds – on November 6, 2000, he was shot several times outside his home at Rathvilly Park in Finglas.

The first gun attack took place just over a week prior to the shooting dead of his nephew, Francis Fitzgerald, 26, on November 16, 2000.

The deceased’s son told the inquest the trouble with extended members of his family began in 2000.

He said he did not know what the fighting was about but there were a number of rows in pubs.

“His attitude was cousins shouldn’t be fighting,” Mr Fitzgerald said, outlining his father’s opinion on the row.

He told the inquest his grandfather had tried to intervene to bring an end to the fighting without success.

On the evening of November 6, 2000, when Mr Fitzgerald first received gunshot wounds, his son said he ran outside the house after he heard loud bangs and his sisters started screaming.

He spotted a black Mitsubishi Colt, with a person wearing a balaclava in the driving seat.

Mr Fitzgerald said he nearly bumped into the gunman fleeing the scene as he ran towards the car, and he ducked down between cars for safety.

The 48-year-old was hospitalised for treatment after being shot twice in the leg and once in the neck.

“The gunman wasn’t Francis,” Mr Fitzgerald said.

He told the inquest: “We all knew Francis’s associates weren’t nice people.”

After the garda investigation got underway into the fatal shooting of Francis and the attempt on Mr Fitzgerald’s life, his son said: “The family was told by gardai they felt Francis had shot my father, then my father had him shot in revenge. I didn’t believe it.”

He told the inquest following the shootings in 2000 there were threats made to the Fitzgerald family and their home at Rathvilly Park. His son said his younger siblings had received threats in school.

He said a member of their extended family had rang the house stating they were going to whack Mr Fitzgerald.

The witness said before his father was fatally shot he had admitted hearing rumours an extended member of the family wanted him dead, and a man from Ballyfermot had been approached to carry out the killing.

Mr Fitzgerald said they had been threatened between 20 and 30 times. “They threatened to shoot us saying more or less watch your back, saying we are going to shoot your father, then you,” he said.

Michael Breen, who lived near the scene of the fatal shooting, said at around 9.45pm on November 21st, 2001 he heard four loud bangs, then a car door slamming and wheels spinning.

As he looked from his window, he spotted a silver hatchback car leaving the scene with its lights off.

Sgt Noel Nolan, who was one of the first gardai on the scene, said he found the body in a pool of blood with three spent shotgun shells nearby. He said the deceased, who was pronounced dead at the scene, had received extensive wounds to the head, elbow and leg.

Det Gda Matt Murphy confirmed no prosecutions had been brought in relation to the death.

The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, adjourned the inquest until 11am tomorrow (Friday, June 23) to hear further evidence from gardai involved in the investigation.