Ombudsman awaits results of postmortem

THE Garda Ombudsman is awaiting the results of a postmortem after a man died following a house raid by drugs squad detectives.

Assistant State pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out the examination yesterday afternoon on the body of David O’Mahony, aged 22, from Glenamoy Lawn, Mayfield on the northside of the city, to establish the exact cause of his death.

The autopsy will establish whether Mr O’Mahony died as a result of ingestion of a substance, or as a result of possible force or restraining actions used during the search.

Mr O’Mahony, a labourer, became ill while the gardaí searched, under warrant, a rented house on the city’s northside at about 7.30pm on Wednesday night.

He was one of several people, including his brother, who were in the house at McSweeney Villas, off Blarney Street in Gurranabraher, when the search began.

It is understood he became agitated a short time later and suffered some form of seizure. Gardaí rendered medical assistance and tried to revive him.

They called an ambulance and emergency medical technicians performed CPR for up to 45 minutes. They rushed Mr O’Mahony to Cork University Hospital but he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The matter was referred to the office of the Garda Ombudsman at 10.20pm.

The commission can investigate any matter, even where no complaint has been made, where it appears that a garda may have committed an offence or behaved in a way that would justify disciplinary proceedings.

The terraced house was immediately sealed off.

A crime scene investigation team arrived yesterday and conducted a technical examination as officials from the Ombudsman Commission assumed responsibility for the investigation.

They are expected to interview the officers involved. The probe is expected to take some time to complete.

The Garda Ombudsman can then either forward a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions, recommend to the Garda Commissioner that he institute disciplinary measures against members of the force, or direct that no action be taken.

Neighbours said the house occupants had moved in recently.

“We didn’t even know the house was let,” said one woman, who asked not to be named.

“It has created a devastating effect on the whole area. Everyone is numbed,” said a local man.