Coroner to recall inquest witnesses

THE Dublin city coroner has decided to take the “unusual” step of recalling witnesses who have already given evidence at an inquest into the death of a baby delivered by water birth in Cavan General Hospital to allay concerns raised by the baby’s family, an inquest has heard.

Harry Eccles died after his mother Gina Eccles, 24, gave birth to him at the Cavan hospital on February 26, 2006, in a birthing pool with the aid of a midwife.

When the full inquest into the baby’s death re-opens at an undisclosed date in late November or December, the court will re-hear the evidence of key witnesses including midwife Elizabeth Loughran, paediatrician Dr Alan Finan and neo-natologist Dr Mathew Thomas.

The decision follows a submission by the family’s barrister Sara Antoniotti that the key witnesses be recalled as the Eccles family was unaware of the pathologist’s findings that Harry died as result of drowning when the witnesses were giving evidence when the inquest opened on May 8.

As a result the family contested they did not ask the questions they would have asked had they been aware of the pathologist’s findings.

The Eccles family was not legally represented at that time.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the court he understood his decision to recall the witnesses would cause them stress and inconvenience but he said: “It’s better to give the family the opportunity to hear the witnesses from their point of view.”