FAT FREDDIE FEUDS LEFT 30 DEAD
Thompson jailed for life after masterminding murder of Hutch rival
GANGLAND psycho Fat Freddie Thompson was involved in two bloody feuds which left 30 people dead, we can reveal today.
The Kinahan cartel madman was finally caged for life yesterday over the callous murder of David “Daithi” Douglas in July 2016.
Thompson, 37, led the gang which gunned down the dad outside a Dublin shoe shop.
Judge Tony Hunt told the Special Criminal Court “the totality of the evidence” left no reasonable doubt as to his guilt.
FEUD thug ”Fat Freddie” Thompson was caged for life yesterday over the murder of David Douglas in revenge for the botched shooting of a Kinahan gangster.
The 37-year-old Dubliner was found guilty at the Special Criminal Court for his part in the broad daylight killing two years ago.
“Daithi” Douglas, 55, was blasted to death in front of his daughter at a shop where he was working.
The execution, at Bridgefoot Street in the capital, was part of the murderous Kinahan-hutch feud.
The Irish Mirror has learned Thompson was told to carry out the murder by the Kinahan cartel who believed Hutch associate Douglas was involved in a failed hit on their associate Liam Roe.
But he was, in fact, in a pub across town and had no part in it.
Cops’ evidence centred around CCTV footage and forensic evidence found in cars used to carry out the murder on July 1, 2016.
This included fingerprints and DNA samples which identified Thompson in the vehicles used on the day.
It was the State’s case he did not pull the trigger but was involved directly in the operation – they alleged he was the leader of the operation that involved up to three other gunmen.
Thompson’s fingerprints were found in two cars used by the gang – a stolen Ford Fiesta and stolen Blue Mitsubishi. The court accepted evidence that Thompson’s DNA was also found in the Mitsubishi.
His DNA was also recovered from an air freshener and hand sanitiser in the silver Ford Fiesta.
Separately, two gardai, Detective Sergeant Adrian Whitelaw and Garda Seamus O’donovan, identified Thompson from CCTV footage. Det Sgt Whitelaw, a well-known detective involved in the fight against gangland terror, had a long history of dealing with Thompson.
He said he identified him and the three-judge panel accepted that but said it was not the only deciding factor. Judge Tony Hunt said it was part of a large volume of circumstantial evidence.
The trial heard Douglas was in the door of his shop in the Liberties area at 4pm on the day of his murder.
He was eating a microwaved curry when he was blasted to death six times, at point-blank range, by a man wearing black clothes.
The suspected gunman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was spotted smirking by a witness as he turned slowly in the moments after the murder. Just before fleeing to a waiting getaway car, he placed the gun next to the head of his dying victim.
In the minutes before the murder Thompson was spotted on CCTV nearby at a street trading stall disposing of a mobile phone.
He was also spotted during that day on CCTV driving one of the cars. It was this footage from which he was identified.
Footage was also obtained showing that just hours after the hit, he and the murder team went to Little Caesar’s restaurant in Dublin city centre.
He was identified there in the company of the rest of the murder team as they celebrated.
Other evidence was gathered by the work of gardai in the Irishtown district
on the southside of Dublin who succeeded in grabbing critical evidence as Thompson’s crew tried to destroy it.
Garda Daragh Lynch had told the court he and two colleagues were on Strand Road, Dublin, responding to a burning car in a nearby car park when he spotted a Mitsubishi driving past at speed.
He saw one of the men driving while the other was “crunched down in the rear of the vehicle”. He said they gave chase after it.
Det Gda Robert Fitzharris was also in the unmarked patrol car and gave chase to the motor.
Both men were arrested and at the same time, in a car park on Strand Road, another Garda, Detective Bryan Hunt, had saved critical evidence in a Suzuki the two men had tried to burn out.
It was in these vehicles the forensic evidence of fingerprints and DNA were found that nailed Fat Freddie.
As Mr Justice Hunt read his almost three-hour judgment, each hope Thompson had of getting off were dashed.
Thompson smirked and rolled his eyes, occasionally nodding and mouthing comments to two female relatives in the body of the court.
As the guilty verdict was finally delivered he stood up and stormed to the cells before the judge was finished. He threw a bible in the bin as he left the court house. The court adjourned for 20 minutes and when it returned for the sentence to be laid down Thompson was dressed in a blue T-shirt and blue shorts, drinking from a large bottle of water.
The judge told Thompson “the totality of the evidence” left no reasonable doubt as to his guilt.
He said the case was essentially circumstantial evidence but said all evidential strands were proven.
Judge Hunt paid tribute to the Garda investigation and also sent his condolences to Douglas’ daughter.
He said: “This man was murdered in front of his daughter – it is a terrible thing to happen.”
As Thompson left the courtroom to begin his sentence he waved to the gardai from Kevin Street and Kilmanham Garda stations. After the judgment Det Supt Paul Cleary, who led the fight, said: “I have just been speaking to the family of David Douglas – they are satisfied with the result.
“I would like to thank the community of Dublin 8 and the business community for their assistance without which this conviction would not have happened.
“I would also like to compliment the work of the detective units at Kevin Street and Kilmainham Garda stations and also assisted by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations.
“This was an extensive investigation and it is still ongoing – it is a live investigation.”
This is an extensive operation and it is still ongoing.. it is live
DET SUPT PAUL CLEARY
YESTERDAY