Family of dead boy to question pathologist

THE family of Robert Holohan will today have an opportunity to question the State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy over how the Midleton schoolboy died in January of last year.

The inquest into the 11-year-old’s death will take place in Midleton courthouse and will be attended by his parents, Majella and Mark, as well as senior gardaí who led the investigation into his disappearance and death.

It is likely that detectives will be asked to provide details of that investigation to the coroner.

Not expected to attend is Wayne O’Donoghue, the little boy’s one time neighbour and friend in Ballyedmond, Midleton, Co Cork, currently serving a four-year sentence for his manslaughter.

He has not been summonsed to the inquest by the coroner.

At today’s hearing south Cork coroner Frank O’Connell will outline to Robert’s family that questions of civil or criminal liability cannot be considered or investigated at the hearing and that the purpose of the inquest is merely to establish the facts surrounding the death.

The inquest will also make findings on the identification of the deceased, the date and place of death and the cause of death.

However by law, the family members may examine any of the witnesses who take the stand or question them through a solicitor or barrister.

The witness to whom the Holohan family are expected to direct most questions will be Dr Cassidy who performed a full post-mortem on their son at Cork University Hospital on January 13, 2005, the day after his body was found in undergrowth at Inch in east Cork.

During the Wayne O’Donoghue trial at the Central Criminal Court, she said her findings during that post-mortem suggested there had been compression of the neck causing asphyxia and that marks were consistent with the child’s neck being compressed by an armlock either from behind or in front.

She also talked of minor injuries to his mouth which could have been caused by a blow or a hand held over his mouth, the latter of which could have contributed to the asphyxiation process.

The family are expected to ask Dr Cassidy why the discovery of semen on Robert’s body was never entered into evidence.

It is unclear at this stage whether the inquest will be completed promptly or whether an adjournment will be sought to allow all criminal proceedings in relation to the death to be finished.

The final outcome of those proceedings is unlikely to happen until October at the earliest when the three judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal deliver their verdict on an appeal by the Director of Public Prosecutions on the leniency of the four-year sentence handed down to Wayne O’Donoghue by Mr Justice Paul Carney.