Man who fell into coma had head injury prior to arrest

A man who fell into a coma in garda custody and later died had suffered a head injury prior to his arrest.

Mark McDonnell, aged 43, of Summerstown Drive, Wilton, Cork, died of a brain haemorrhage due to head trauma on Jul 16 last year.

He had been arrested and taken into custody at the Bridewell Garda Station in Cork the previous night.

The man’s death was referred to the Garda Ombudsman’s office and a full investigation carried out.

At Cork City Coroner’s Court yesterday, Mr McDonnell’s relatives watched CCTV footage of his last movements at Parnell St bus station on the night of Jul 15, 2011, where he had been drinking with a friend.

At around 7pm, he was found slumped on the toilet floor and escorted out of the bus station by a security guard.

On his third attempt to deny Mr McDonnell access, the security guard allegedly pushed the deceased with a force that knocked him off his feet.

Taxi driver Timothy Healy watched the incident from his taxi at the rank opposite the bus station: “The security guard was blocking the door. He pushed him violently to the ground. I heard a loud crack.”

A second eyewitness, Thomas Kerrigan described the push as “full force”: “He hit the ground like a dead weight.”

The security guard Rudolf Lauc testified Mr McDonnell was drunk and abusive: “He came at me full force, I was fearful for my safety.”

The bus station porter Alan Mooney called gardaí who arrived to find Mr McDonnell in an intoxicated state. He declined hospital treatment and refused to enter an ambulance.

Garda Hilary Lynch arrested him for his own safety and he was taken into custody at the Bridewell station. He was to be kept overnight to appear in court the following morning.

Gardaí maintained 15- minute checks on Mr McDonnell until 4am when he could not be roused.

Garda Majella Lynch became concerned by a change in his breathing.

At 4.15am, an ambulance was called but paramedics failed to wake him. He was transferred to Cork University Hospital where he later died.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy said Mr McDonnell died of intracerebral haemorrhage following head trauma. She said the fall outside the bus station may have been the origin of his injury. Her autopsy detected a previous skull fracture that had not healed.

A garda file on the matter had been prepared but the DPP directed no prosecutions in relation to the case.

The jury returned a verdict of misadventure.