Crime & Law

Det Supt Colm Fox always made people feel ‘safe whenever he was around’

RTÉ's Prime Time broadcast an interview with his family following the recent inquest into his death

Det Supt Colm Fox. File photograph: Dave Meehan
Det Supt Colm Fox. File photograph: Dave Meehan
Sarah Slater
Thu Dec 05 2024 - 23:26

Detective Superintendent Colm Fox, who led the investigation into the Regency Hotel gangland shooting, always made people feel “safe whenever he was around and would do anything for anyone whenever he was around” according to his family.

On Thursday night, RTÉ’s Prime Time broadcast an interview with his family following the recent inquest into his death, which occurred seven years ago at Ballymun Garda station in Dublin. The inquest returned a verdict of death by suicide, shedding light on the circumstances surrounding Det Supt Fox’s passing. In their only sit-down interview, his wife, two daughters and son shared their reflections, offering perspectives on the man behind the job and the impact of his loss.

David Byrne (33) was shot dead at a boxing weigh-in at the Regency Hotel in Dublin in February 2016. The killing was part of the Hutch-Kinahan gang feud. Last year, Jason Bonney (52), a builder from Portmarnock, Co Dublin, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison. Paul Murphy (61), a taxi driver from Swords, Co Dublin, was jailed for nine years. Both men were found guilty of helping the Hutch organised crime group commit the murder.

Speaking about the day he died, his wife Edel said: “That morning, he just, there was something not quite right, but I actually couldn’t put my finger on it.”

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She added her husband wrote in his last letter to her that they had “a fantastic life together”. She continued: “But his time in Finglas would have really taken a toll of him. It was relentless (due to murders) ... even during the middle of the night.”

The inquest had previously heard how he was under intense pressure over the Regency Hotel murder investigation, and subsequent trial in 2018. Mrs Fox said that “gun crime” had an impact on him, but pointed out that he “did not suffer from depression”. She highlighted that her husband had a number of high-profile cases before the Regency murder and was always able “to handle them”.

She revealed he was not answering his phone throughout the day he died, and she “could not reach him”. Her neighbour, who was a garda, and her brother pulled up outside their house and told her he had taken his own life.

Mrs Fox also said she had no idea what the “omissions” her husband referred to in his last letters to his family were in his investigations regarding the murder. His daughter Megan said: “I knew that he was involved in this high-profile case, and I knew that he was under pressure. No one really knew how bad things actually were for him.”

By speaking about their loss, the Fox family aim to raise awareness in the hope that it may help others who are struggling and encourage them to seek support.

The inquest into the death of Det Supt Fox heard he was found dead in his office at Ballymun Garda station on the evening of February 10th, 2018 with a number of notes left along with his official firearm.

In her finding, coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said it was tragic that a man who had been described as a perfectionist appeared to have perceived an aspect of his work as a catastrophe; such that he felt he should take his own life.

She made recommendations about the implementation of mental health supports within the force, along with the digitisation of An Garda Síochána’s current firearms training records to replace the current hard copy.

Dr Cullinane said she endorsed the full implementation of a “mental health first aid kit” within the force.

She said Det Supt Fox had been the subject of many expressions of admiration in relation to him as a valued colleague and friend and a devoted family man.