Nobody likely to faces charges over murder of Kinahan cartel linked Eric Fowler during feud

Inspector Liam Donoghue told a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court that a file in relation to the killing of Mr Fowler was expected to be ready within the next four weeks.

However, it is understood that nobody is likely to face criminal charges arising out of the fatal shooting.

Mr Fowler (34) died after being ambushed by one or more gunmen who shot him several times, including once in the head, as he got out of his car after arriving back at his home in Blakestown Cottages, Coolmine on December 22, 2018.

A car which is believed to have been used as a getaway vehicle by his killers was found burnt out a short distance away at Rusheeney Green in Clonsilla.

Mr Fowler had links to the Kinahan cartel, although he had family connections which linked him to both sides of the Hutch-Kinahan feud.

He is believed to have been the 18th victim of the deadly feud between the two criminal gangs which began with the murder of Gary Hutch in Spain in 2015 by the Kinahan cartel.

The father of two had been investigated for his suspected role in organised crime before his death but he had never been charged with a serious offence.

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Mr Fowler, who operated a car wash and valeting business near his home in Coolmine, had been warned on at least two occasions by gardaí that his life was in danger.

Insp Donoghue sought and was granted an adjournment of the inquest into the death by the coroner, Aisling Gannon.

He told the court, which was attended by the victim’s mother, Therese, that he expected to be able to schedule a date for the full hearing of the inquest into Mr Fowler’s death when the case comes up for mention in October.

Last year, Mr Fowler’s father, Stephen was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for his role in the attempted murder by the Kinahan cartel of rival Hutch gang member, James “Mago” Gately.

Fowler (62) was convicted by the non-jury, Special Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to a single charge of having knowledge of a criminal organisation and enhancing its ability to commit a serious offence, namely the murder of James Gately, on dates between December 7, 2016 and April 4, 2017.

The court heard that Fowler had collected an Estonian assassin, Imre Arakas, who was brought to Ireland to murder Gately, from a hotel in Dublin city centre and brought him to his home at Blakestown Cottages where both men were arrested.