Inquest jury requests case be referred to DPP

THE DPP has been requested to instruct the gardaí to reopen an investigation into an assault on an elderly Mullagh man in August 2001. A minor, aged between 14 and 15 years at the time, admitted committing the assault but was not prosecuted.

A reconvened inquest into the death of 68-year-old John Joseph Darcy from Mullagh this week heard that he died in July 2002, a number of weeks after a second corrective surgery to his nose, necessary after the injury he sustained in an assault on August 26, 2001.
At the inquest this week, solicitor for the Darcy family, Gerard Gannon, urged the jury to consider that this matter should be investigated further, particularly given that there is a witness statement regarding the assault, which alleges that the minor’s father “goaded” his son to continue to assault Mr Darcy.
County coroner Isobel O’Dea explained that the medical records stated the surgeries were necessary due to an injury sustained in the assault in August 2001.
Mr Gannon appealed to the jury “in the interest of justice and restoring the confidence of the public in the justice system, this should have been investigated thoroughly”.
After 20 minutes deliberating their verdict, the jury returned an open verdict into Mr Darcy’s death, calling for further investigation into the matter. Ms O’Dea said she would now write to the Ennistymon superintendent informing him of the jury’s determination that the case warrants further investigation by the DPP.