Tag Archives: Inquest

THE search continues for a missing Japanese tourist eight months after the body of her travelling companion was recovered from the waters off Kilkee. An inquest into the death last August of 63-year-old Eiji Takagi at Clare’s Coroner’s Court this week heard that the search is ongoing for fellow tourist Ushio Azaki, who also went missing. The remains of Mr Takagi, who had a Californian address, were recovered in Kilkee bay in water about 27m deep on August 30 of last year, following an extensive search of the area. The inquest was told that the pair were last seen alive when they checked out of The Bellbridge House Hotel and were due to visit Kilkee. Concern was raised when their hire car was seen parked at George’s Head for a number of days and a search operation was launched. Along with search and rescue teams from Lough Derg, Ennis and Aughinish, local coast guard units from Kilkee, Doolin and Ballybunion …

A  FEAKLE man, who called a taxi to bring him from his digs in Foynes to a Shannondoc surgery in Newcastle West, had collapsed and was not breathing by the time they arrived at the surgery, an inquest heard this week. Thomas (Tom) O’Donoghue (41), from Main Street, Feakle, was working with Foynes Engineering and staying in the Shannon House bar and guesthouse in Foynes at the time of his death, December 14 last. The inquest in Newcastle West heard that Mr O’Donoghue, a single man born in April 1974,  had gone upstairs about 10pm but came back down about 11pm, complaining of chest pains and shortness of breath. The co-owner of the guest-house, Richard O’Connor, said in a deposition read out at the inquest, that he was out for a walk when one of his staff rang to say that Mr O’Donoghue was complaining of breathing problems. He returned to Shannon House, where he saw Mr O’Donoghue “slumped over”. …

THE family of the late Patrick Nugent from Sixmilebridge has accused the Department of Justice of adding “insult to injury” over its failure to update them on the potential for an independent review into his death. The death of 23-year-old banqueting manager Patrick Nugent, in Bunratty, in the early hours of February 11, 1984 is back in the spotlight this week as members of the Nugent family, from Feenagh, Sixmilebridge, have highlighted their frustration over being left in the dark for the past 13 months on a possible review of file. “The lack of communication is adding insult to injury for the family,” said his brother, John, a view shared by his sibling, Martin. “It is a like a repeat of what happened over 30 years ago when we were coming up against a brick wall. We weren’t getting any proper answers back then and it is the same now. It is hard to believe it. We will not throw …

“DOMESTIC dispute – she stabbed me, I stabbed her”, were among the last words spoken by a man who died on the same evening as his wife in Kildysart, shortly before last Christmas. This was outlined at an inquest in Ennis into the deaths of South African couple, Cornelius and Angelique Billing. The inquest also heard that the couple’s two small children were hysterical in the aftermath of the stabbings and one of them was on Kildysart’s Main Street calling for help, as her mother was mortally wounded nearby. The jury heard evidence from gardaí, ambulance and fire service personnel, as well as Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis. Garda John Cahill said that on December 17 of last year he began work at noon and at around 6.25pm, he got a call to go to a fire at a hardware store in Kildysart. While on the Main Street, he saw a woman staggering in the direction of AIB. She …