Mayo coroner agrees to adjourn inquest into Mayo man's tragic death
A coroner has agreed to a request by the family of a 60-year-old man who sustained a traumatic brain injury and died in an incident in Westport more than two years ago that his inquest be adjourned until all the witnesses to the tragic event are available to give evidence.
The inquest into the death of Peter McDermott, Marino Lodge, Westport, formerly of Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, was scheduled to begin today at Castlebar Courthouse.
However, the Coroner for the District of Mayo, Dr. Eleanor Fitzgerald, adjourned the hearing to a date to be arranged in the new year after hearing from Mr. Damian Tansey, S.C. (on behalf of the deceased’s family), that very few witnesses were available to be cross-examined and have their evidence tested.
Mr. Tansey claimed there are many inconsistencies in the witness statements, adding that “these inconsistencies will have to be exposed publicly."
Last July, a jury, sitting at the Circuit Criminal Court in Castlebar, cleared a young barman, Vincent Connolly, Cedar Hill, Westport, of a charge of manslaughter, unlawfully killing Mr. McDermott at Hill Street, Westport, in the early hours of September 10, 2023.
At the outset of today’s hearing the inquest was told that Mr. Connolly is now in Boston and was not available to give evidence.
Mr. Tansey said it had come as a surprise to him that Mr. Connolly was not available but he accepted he was in America and said the hearing could have gone on without him.
Pointing out that Mr. McDermott’s wife, siblings and other relatives were in the courtroom for the hearing, Mr. Tansey said they were expecting a full, forensic, thorough investigation which would involve all the witnesses being cross-examined and having their evidence tested.
Counsel continued: “It transpires that most of the witnesses are not here even though they are mostly from the Castlebar, Westport, Newport area.
“There is no reason in the wide, earthly world that if served with a witness summons they couldn’t be here," he claimed.
The purpose of an inquest, Mr. Tansey went on, was to forensically, painstakingly and thoroughly go through the evidence.
An inquest was a totally different forum to the Circuit Criminal Court, counsel added.
After consulting with the deceased’s family during a break in this morning’s proceedings Mr. Tansey said they wanted all witnesses to be present at the inquest on foot of subpoenas, if needs be.
Granting an adjournment, Coroner Fitzgerald said she was taking into account the wishes of the McDermott family.
At the outset of today’s proceedings, the coroner explained the purpose of the hearing was to establish the facts as to how, when and where Mr. McDermott’s death occurred.
She said the purpose of an inquest was different to that of criminal court proceedings - it was not to attribute blame or exonerate anyone.
Dr. Fitzgerald said the verdict returned at an inquest cannot be inconsistent with a verdict handed down by the criminal court.
Vincent Connolly, who was cleared by the Circuit Criminal Court of unlawfully killing Mr. McDermott, was represented at today’s proceedings by Laura Byrne, Senior Counsel, instructed by Mr. Gary Mulchrone, solicitor.
* Published under the Courts Reporting Scheme.