GARDAI have taken the unusual step of deciding to exhume the remains of a deceased Sixmilebridge banqueting manager, who died on February 10, 1984, as part of a new investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
Work on the exhumation of Patrick Nugent’s remains is due to start early on Tuesday morning with the help of a team of forensic experts.
In a statement issued to the Clare Champion, the family’s solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW LAW Human Rights lawyers confirmed family members have engaged with Gardai on both the sensitive logistics of the exhumation and its likely outworkings.
“A key area will be the tests undertaken on bones to see if those results might alter hitherto settled narratives on the case. We hope those anthropological findings will provide new investigative leads for Gardai in all their follow up inquiries. In many ways, we hope this historic investigative milestone will pave the way for a renewed investigative strategy. After all this time it’s the least the family can expect to achieve.”
Last January, an incident room was set up in Shannon Garda Station as part of a new review about the circumstances that led to Mr Nugent’s death almost 40 years ago.
A renewed public appeal for information was issued by Inspector David Finnerty on the Crimecall RTE Progamme last January, requesting information from guests or staff members that attended the party in Bunratty on the night Patrick died on February 10, 1984.
Gardai were also interested in talking to family members of staff who may have information relating to his death such as photographs of the night.
Inspector Finnerty confirmed Gardai were approaching this new investigation with an open mind.
“The trauma from the event that night continue to be felt by Patrick’s family.We are asking for anyone with information about Patrick’s death to come forward and assist us in this investigation.
“Patrick was a role model for his brothers. If Patrick was alive today, he would be approaching his 64th birthday. The Nugent family have missed out on sharing many happy events with Patrick over the last 40 years.
“Gardai are appealing to anyone with information to come forward and contact us. We will employ all modern day techniques and with advances in technology we can progress the investigation,” he stated at the time.
In his statement, Mr Winters outlined the family believe strongly that Patrick was killed and his “murder covered up”.
“They have been fighting over 40 years now for justice for Patrick. However, no one has ever been convicted in connection with his killing.
The family have been through a criminal trial; the outworkings of a Gardai disciplinary process ; an inquest ; a section 42 Gardai Inquiry following a miscarriage of justice investigation by the IRM together with a renewed criminal investigation after the Attorney General reviewed the findings of District Judge Patrick Clyne.
Speaking on the significance of the exhumation, his brothers, John and Martin, said after having some initial misgivings about the worthiness of any new investigation, they want to publicly state their appreciation for the work Gardai have undertaken over the last few years.
“They have been proactive in their oversight and have kept us included at all stages of the investigation. That is especially the case with the exhumation of Patrick. Our decision to agree to this unusual and unique step wasn’t taken lightly. It is really very poignant for us as a family to experience the disinterment of our brothers’ remains especially given the proximity of the grave to our family home.
“We accept that it’s for the best if the results can shed some additional light on what we already know. We have worked very closely with Gardai and our solicitors on the complicated logistics involved in organising this exhumation. Having agreed to go through with it we are all quietly hopeful that we might just get a breakthrough.”
Mr Winters added the Nugent family have been through a difficult and lengthy legal odyssey to get to this point.
“At times it’s been nothing short of tortuous. They have displayed remarkable patience with the legal and investigative system. That includes having to reluctantly accept the confidentiality of Judge Clyne’s findings in order to preserve the integrity of this renewed investigation. What happened on that fateful night has never been resolved. That no one has ever been held to account after four decades remains a travesty of justice,” he stated.
Former Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald appointed retired District Court Judge Patrick Clyne to lead an inquiry into the Garda investigation and disciplinary inquiries that took place following the death of Patrick Nugent (23) Feenagh, Sixmilebridge at the end of a 40th wedding anniversary party in the early hours of February 11th, 1984.
His death was one of the 320 cases examined by the Independent Review Mechanism (IRM) set up by Minister Fitzgerald, following a complaint made by the family relating to alleged Garda misconduct in June 2014.
Frances Fitzgerald signed a ministerial order appointing Judge Patrick Clyne on May 15, 2017.
She asked him to “inquire into a matter of public concern, namely the adequacy of the
Garda Síochána investigations and disciplinary inquiries that took
place between 1984 and 1986 following the death of Mr. Patrick Nugent in County Clare on 11 February 1984, and make a report to the Minister on the conclusion of the inquiry.”
Judge Clyne completed his inquiry on 31 October 2020. The Department of Justice received the Clyne report on November 3, 2020.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.