Eric 'Lucky' Wilson,shot his victim in both testicles following a row over a woman

Gardai want to quiz psycho killer Eric 'Lucky' Wilson over a spate of unsolved murders here, which they believe he carried out as a 'freelance' assassin.

Wilson was convicted of blasting 24-year-old British criminal Daniel Smith to death in a packed Spanish bar and now faces a potential 25-year jail term, the Herald can reveal.

The victim was shot a number of times in a row over a woman.

Wilson (27), who has been on the run from gardai since 2006, could then be be extradited back to Ireland.

They also want to charge him over a major firearms seizure in Co Carlow that year and also a serious assault in Co Laois in 2004.

A senior source explained: "Eric Wilson is the most prolific gun-for-hire in the history of Irish organised crime. He is completely ruthless, psychotic and had a solid reputation of always getting his man."

Detectives from the NBCI travelled to Spain earlier this year to question him about these killings, but Wilson refused to meet them when they arrived at the jail he was in.

The hitman, from Cremona Road, Ballyfermot, is suspected of working for a number of Ireland's most dangerous drugs gangs and regularly travelling back and forward from Spain's Costa-Del-Sol to Ireland with a false passport before his arrest in Fuengirola last June.

These gangs include the northside crews that were led by slain crime lords Martin 'Marlo' Hyland and Eamon 'The Don' Dunne as well as notorious hood Paul 'Burger' Walsh's drugs gang.Eric 'Lucky' Wilson,shot his victim in both testicles following a row over a woman, court documents have revealed.

Eric 'Lucky' Wilson, from Ballyfermot, south Dublin, is behind bars in Spain suspected of murdering English criminal Dan Smith at a Costa Del Sol bar last year.

Wilson is a notorious criminal, suspected of involvement in shootings both here and aboard. He fled Ireland after becoming a suspect in a number of gun attacks.

He was pestering a girl in the Lounge Bar in the Rivera del Sol, near Mijas, last year when Smith told him to leave a woman he was hassling alone.

Wilson then told Smith: "You wait there. I'll be back in a minute." Wilson returned shortly afterwards on a motorbike.

Hidden

Documents prepared by a local prosecutor say Wilson fired 11 bullets into Smith. "He took out a 9mm Parabellum pistol which he had kept hidden. He shot twice at Daniel as he tried to get up from his seat, so that the victim fell to the ground.

"Wilson then shot repeatedly at Daniel as he lay on the ground. Daniel was shot a total of 11 times, including twice in the jaw, twice in the spine and two bullets hit the left and right testicles."

Prosecutors say they plan to charge Wilson with murder and illegal weapons possession and will ask for a sentence of 18 years plus €45,000 compensation for Smith's mother.

A trial date has yet to be set and under Spanish law Wilson will not be formally charged until he comes before the court. Police found explosives and false identities in Wilson's home when they arrested him.

The "highly dangerous" thug, was suspected of involvement in a number of murders including that of Roy Coddington in Meath in 2007.

He also has links Mark Desmond as well as north Dublin criminals, was understood to be offering his services as a hitman-for-hire before relocating to Spain.

Smith from Essex was on the run from authorities in the UK for the attempted murder of a man in 2007.