“Significant deficiencies” in law force end to bid to compel killer to testify

The DUBLIN city coroner said yesterday that “significant deficiencies” in legislation had forced him to abandon plans to compel convicted killer Mark Nash to give evidence at an inquest.

Brian Farrell had issued a summons to Nash to appear at an inquest into the violent deaths of two women near the grounds of a psychiatric hospital in Dublin five years ago.

However, Dr Farrell told Dublin Coroners Court yesterday that he did not believe he could compel Nash to attend the inquest into the deaths of patients Sylvia Shields, 57, and Mary Callinan, 61, under current legislation.