The father of murdered Limerick businessman Roy Collins said he hoped his family's fight for justice would provoke others into giving evidence against gangland networks.
Steve Collins, who returned to Ireland to attend his son's inquest, said a "new culture" now exists within gangland structures, whereby those involved are turning on their criminal masters to bring about their demise.
The Collins family left Ireland after death threats were made against them. They reside in an undisclosed location after being placed in a Garda relocation programme.
A verdict of death by murder from a single gunshot to Roy’s chest, was returned at Limerick Coroners Court.
Roy (34), a father of two who had no criminal links, was shot by James Dillon, in Roy's amusement arcade business that he operated at the Roxboro Shopping Centre, Limerick, on April 9th, 2009.
Dillon is serving a life sentence for the murder and in July the Special Criminal Court found Wayne Dundon (36), of Lenihan Avenue, Prospect and Nathan Killeen (24) of Hyde Road, Prospect, guilty of the murder.
The Collins family had testified against Wayne Dundon in a previous case.
At his inquest, State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy said, Roy died after sustaining a single gunshot to the chest.
Next door
During the 14-minute hearing, the inquest heard Roy was shot in the back as he cleaned an arcade machine.
Mr Collins, who worked next door, said he “cradled” his dying son. “He told me he loved me and that he loved his mum,” Mr Collins said.
“I cradled him, he looked uncomfortable. I tried to lay him down but he was too uncomfortable. He said it was hard to breathe. I told him to stop talking.”
Mr Collins said he ran next door after the shooting and saw Roy “crouched on his knees.”
“He told me he could not breathe. He told me, ‘I’m after being shot, dad.’ I asked him did he see who did it, he told me ‘No’.”
Mr Collins said he rang gardaí and an ambulance was dispatched to the scene, but his son was pronounced dead a short time later at University Hospital Limerick.
In July, Dundon and Killeen were jailed for life for the murder.
Outside the court, Mr Collins emotionally thanked gardaí for bringing his son’s killers to justice.
He also praised the citizens of Limerick who, following Roy’s murder, marched in their thousands in a public show of solidarity with the Collins family. He called on the State to use stronger laws in the fight against gangland crime.
Mr Collins highlighted the case of Jeffrey Hannan, a 19-year-old man who was killed with an axe in an unprovoked attack seven years ago this month.
Mr Collins said he hoped people with information would come forward to bring the killers to justice: “Well I think this has been proved by what we did, that you can get results. It’s terrible for the families that are left in limbo.”