A man who was shot and killed in 2001 had informed the Garda Complaints Board three months before his death that his life was in danger, an inquest has heard. He also complained that gardaí were not taking this threat to his life seriously.
Gerald Fitzgerald (48), a father of 10, Rathvilly Park, Finglas, Dublin, was shot dead in Santry, Dublin, in November 2001. There have been no criminal prosecutions in relation to his death.
Mr Fitzgerald was known to gardaí and was involved in a feud with his extended family. A year before he was murdered, he was shot outside his home but survived. A week after that shooting, his nephew Francis Fitzgerald (27) was shot dead at his flat at Annamoe Terrace, Cabra, Dublin, on November 14th, 2000.
Mr Fitzgerald was involved in a number of altercations with his nephew and other extended family members.
Miriam Mulligan, a civil servant with the Garda Complaints Board in Dublin, told Dublin City Coroner's Court yesterday that Mr Fitzgerald made a complaint in July 2001.
"He wasn't happy with the Garda response to a number of incidents . . . He was scared for his family." She added that he said he had received "a threat to kill him".
Det Garda Brendan Burgin said he was aware of about 20 altercations between the feuding Fitzgerald family in the 15 months leading up to Mr Fitzgerald's fatal shooting. However, he said he was "not specifically" aware of a threat to Mr Fitzgerald's life.
Following the attempt on Mr Fitzgerald's life a year before his murder, gardaí attempted to get a statement of complaint from him but "his co-operation was nil".
The inquest resumes on July 19th.