Gardaí question man after body found at hospital

GARDAÍ are continuing to question a man after the body of an elderly pensioner suffering from dementia was found at a public hospital’s in-patient mental health unit.

Officers arrested the man in his 40s yesterday after the remains of Michael Treanor, 82, were found by cleaning staff at Cavan General Hospital just after 7am.

Mr Treanor, who is from Darva Carrickroe near Emyvale in Co Monaghan, had been diagnosed with dementia but is not believed to have been undergoing in-patient treatment at the hospital.

The cause of death will not be known until a full postmortem is carried out by State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy at Louth County Hospital in Dundalk.

However, it is understood officers are treating the “unexpected death” as a murder inquiry.

A man arrested at the scene was continuing to be questioned at Cavan Garda Station under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, last night.

Under the act he must either be charged or released by this afternoon, or be the subject of an extension request to allow for further questioning.

In a statement, a senior HSE spokesperson said health service officials are “co-operating fully with Garda investigations” into the tragic death.

The Mental Health Commission has also been informed and is involved in the ongoing investigations as required by law.

Neither the gardaí or the HSE would comment on the matter last night.