Assault investigation stalled after man's death

THE mother of a young homeless man believes her son died as a direct result of being assaulted by three men as he slept rough on the streets of Dublin, an inquest heard yesterday.

But the investigation into the incident which led to the death of Robert Lecke stalled because the 28-year-old Englishman slipped into a coma from which he never recovered and gardaí were unable to interview him.

His mother Evelyn Lecke, who travelled from her Hartlepool home for the inquest, has requested the case be featured on RTÉ’s Crimeline programme and the details of his death reported in newspapers in the hope new leads may emerge.