Inquest into Club Anabel death to resume after six years

AN inquest into the death of teenager Brian Murphy outside Club Anabel nightclub almost six years ago is to be re-opened.

The Dublin City Coroner is to list the inquest for mention next month and a date for the full hearing of the inquest is expected to be entered at this time.

Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell adjourned the original inquest a short time after the boy’s death in August 2000, as garda investigations were being carried out.

With two post-mortem examination reports in existence, those of retired Prof John Harbison and the current State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy, this will prove to be a very unusual case for the coroner.

The four who faced charges in relation to the boy’s death, two of whom were convicted of violent disorder, could be called to give evidence. All four were acquitted of the charge of manslaughter.

One man, Dermot Laide, from Co Monaghan, was convicted of Brian’s manslaughter and of violent disorder, but was acquitted on appeal. The Court of Criminal Appeal, at the time, directed a retrial on the manslaughter charge.

Last month, the State dropped proceedings against Mr Laide, the Director of Public Prosecutions deciding not to proceed due to evidential difficulties posed by the different findings of Dr Harbison and Dr Cassidy.

Mr Laide claimed the real reason the prosecution was dropped was the emergence of a new report by Dr Cassidy that appeared to conflict in some respects with the original postmortem report.

Prof Harbison, who did the original post-mortem examination, will be unable to give evidence at the coroner’s court due to illness.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Dublin Coroner’s Court confirmed the inquest would be mentioned next week, but she could not provide further details.

It is understood that no further criminal charges are being considered by the DPP against any person in relation to the case.

The coroner has powers to call as a witness any person with information relevant to establishing the circumstances of a person’s death when the inquest reopens.