Bank official took his life after branch transfer
Bernard “Barney” O’Kane, a 49-year-old father of three from Wesley Heights, Sandyford, Co Dublin, was found hanging from a rope passed through the attic door in his family home on July 8, 2006.
His wife, Lenore, told Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday that she became nervous after returning home at 1.05pm that day to find “a short farewell note” from him on the kitchen table. When she rushed upstairs, she found her husband hanging out of the attic trapdoor with a noose around his neck.
The inquest heard that Mr O’Kane suffered from depression in 2001 after he had unsuccessfully applied for a number of promotions with the Bank of Ireland. However, Ms O’Kane said her husband was subsequently very content with his job at the Donnybrook branch of the bank.
In a statement, his wife said he became unhappy after being informed at the end of May 2006 that he would be transferred to another branch in nearby Stillorgan which he felt was like a demotion.
Asked about her husband’s demeanour on the day of his death, Ms O’Kane said he was “very strong” and felt he had no choice but to accept the transfer. She added that Barney had never given any indication of wishing to harm himself, although they had occasionally discussed the issue of depression and suicide.
Dr Ian Eustace, a consultant physician for the bank who examined Mr O’Kane a fortnight before his death, admitted he had appeared very unhappy about the transfer. The doctor said, however, he was satisfied that Mr O’Kane would settle down there after taking a few weeks off work.
Mr O’Kane’s own GP, Dr John Hastings, said the transfer seemed to have “a profound effect” on him.
On the day before his death, Mr O’Kane and his wife attended a meeting with two senior bank executives to discuss his unhappiness with the transfer.
Ms O’Kane said her husband had felt “abused” and “fairly devastated” at the manner in which his transfer had been handled.
The inquest heard that Mr O’Kane’s was one of a large number of transfers which took place within the region every two to three months.
Barbara Crum, a regional service manager with the Bank of Ireland, said Mr O’Kane’s transfer did not involve any promotion or salary increase. She also confirmed that employees were not consulted before decisions were taken to transfer them.
Asked by Dublin City Coroner Dr Brian Farrell if there was an appeals mechanism against unwanted transfers, Ms Crum replied: “There could be.”
Dr Farrell said Mr O’Kane’s suicide note had not contained any particular reason why he had taken his own life apart from saying he just “could not cope any longer”. However, he added: “There is no doubt in the weeks before he died that the question of the transfer loomed large in his life and was a cause of concern to him.”
Recording a verdict of death by suicide, the coroner observed that Mr O’Kane had a vulnerable personality with a history of depression.
Dr Farrell said he intended to write to the board and management of the Bank of Ireland in light of Mr O’Kane’s death to urge them to review their grievance procedures, especially in the area of the transfer of personnel.
He stressed that such an action was being taken “without prejudice” against the bank. He acknowledged that in-house grievance procedures relating to Mr O’Kane were ongoing at the time of his death.
However, he acquiesced to a submission from counsel for the bank that such correspondence could be viewed as being critical of the bank. As a result, the coroner said he would leave the matter on the basis that his concern would be communicated to the bank by its legal representatives.
