Inquest delayed by Garda probe into children’s deaths

A joint inquest into the tragic deaths of two young brothers in a house fire in Cork last year has been adjourned pending the completion of Garda investigations.

The inquests into the deaths of Calvin Ellard Punch, 4, and his brother Cian, 2, were opened at Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday where evidence of identification and cause of death was heard.

Firefighters rescued the boys, and their critically ill mother, Stacey, from their smoke-filled house at 106 Elm Park, in Wilton, Cork, just after 4am on the Sunday of the October bank holiday last year.

Cian was rushed to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

Assistant state pathologist Dr Margot Bolster told city coroner Dr Myra Cullinane yesterday that an autopsy confirmed the infant died from acute carbon monoxide poisoning due to smoke inhalation due to a house fire.

Calvin, who was also rushed with his mother to CUH, lost his fight for life a few days later, on Nov 2.

Dr Bolster said that an autopsy confirmed the little boy died from hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy — when the brain is starved of oxygen — due to smoke inhalation due to a house fire.

It is believed the fire started accidentally in the downstairs kitchen of the rented mid-terrace house.

Inspector Declan O’Sullivan told Dr Cullinane that the Garda file on the deaths was almost complete and will be forwarded to the DPP soon.

He applied for, and was granted, an adjournment of the inquest for six months, to await instructions from the DPP.

Members of the Ellard and Punch families did not attend yesterday’s brief hearing.