A member of the Garda's Emergency Response Unit who shot dead two post office raiders has told the inquest that he believed both men were armed and were about to kill him.
The officer, identified only as Det Garda A, said the first raider he shot, Colm Griffin, ignored an order to drop his gun and instead pointed it at him.
He believed the second man, Eric Hopkins, had grabbed the gun dropped by his wounded accomplice and was about to fire it. It later emerged that while Griffin was armed with a loaded semi-automatic gun, Hopkins had not picked up the weapon.
Griffin (33), Canon Lillis Avenue, and Hopkins (24), Lower Rutland Street, both Dublin 1, were shot dead by the ERU as they tried to steal €48,500 on the morning of May 26th, 2005, from the Village Stores post office and shop in Lusk, north Co Dublin.
A third man, Gavin Farrelly (35), Lower Sheriff Street, Dublin, surrendered. He was sentenced last May to 10 years in jail.
Det Garda A gave his testimony from behind a curtain to protect his anonymity. He said he and a colleague, identified only as Det Garda B, were part of a Garda team that went to Lusk on the morning in question.
Gardaí had received intelligence that the premises, which housed a shop, deli and post office, was to be raided.
The two men were dressed as construction workers and were wearing hard hats and high visibility vests. Det Garda A said they expected the raiders to enter the front door of the premises.
He said he and his colleague were planning to stop them as they entered the shop "if they got that far". Instead, the three-man gang drove their stolen Skoda down the side alley and around to the rear of the premises.
The two gardaí in the shop were informed of this via radio earpieces. Det Garda A said he immediately went to the post office counter and identified himself as a garda.
He was admitted to the area behind the counter and made his way to a back door in the rear of a sorting office. He believed the raiders were about to enter the premises via the door.
However, the masked gang entered through a second door and made their way unimpeded into the post office serving area.
Gavin Farrelly used a sledge hammer to try and break open the door to the counter area. He then shattered the reinforced glass over the counter.
Det Garda A said when he heard one "very, very loud bang" and saw the glass shatter, he believed a shot had been fired.
"I was positive it was gunfire," he said.
He believed the men were about to gain access to the area behind the reinforced glass and said he feared for the safety of staff in that area.
"I decided at that point I was better going through to the shop floor to try and confront the raiders. I called out 'armed gardaí on duty' before I opened the door. I wanted whoever it was out there to know that there was gardaí [on the premises]."
When the door opened he saw Griffin armed with a handgun six feet away from him, holding the gun with his two hands. He shouted a second warning at him.
"He just pointed the gun out directly at me. There was no mistaking his movements; he was dropping into a firing position. There was no doubt in my mind he was going to kill me."
He fired one shot at Griffin's torso. However, while he began to fall he maintained the gun's aim at the garda. The officer said he fired again, wounding Griffin for a second time.
He said Hopkins then bent over Griffin to grab the gun.
"His hand was out and he placed it on the firearm. I called out 'armed gardaí, drop your weapon and get on the floor', but he didn't comply with this."
Hopkins, according to Det Garda A, then made a "fast explosive movement" to his left. Det Garda A said Hopkins turned his body angle towards him.
"I thought he was challenging me. I believed he was in possession of the gun at that stage. I feared for my life and the people in the shop. At that stage I discharged the third shot from my pistol at his torso."
The three fatal shots were fired in a two-second period. Det Garda A denied suggestions from Shane Murphy BL, for the dead men's families, that he never believed Hopkins was armed.
He also denied suggestions that Hopkins had not put up any challenge to him. The inquest resumes on Monday.
