Key witness summonsed by coroner

A coroner has summonsed a key witness to appear before her after he failed to appear at an inquest yesterday into the death a man who was facing a murder charge.

Cork City coroner Dr Myra Cullinane directed that Micheál Ó Murchu give direct evidence before her inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Timothy Kelleher’s death.

Mr Kelleher, aged 25, of Maryborough Hill, Douglas, Cork, had been charged last October with the murder of Mark Hanlon, aged 31, in Cork, on May 6, 2012. But he died just days later.

The coroner heard about an hour of evidence before adjourning proceedings after a conflict of evidence emerged between Mr Ó Murchu’s version of events, and that of Mr Kelleher’s fiancee, Kellie Danza.

In his deposition, read to the court, Mr Ó Murchu said he met Mr Kelleher between 7pm and 8pm on Oct 19 on the Bandon road.

He said they drank a few cans of beer. Later, they met two men and were offered a white powder. Mr Ó Murchu said they snorted what he believed to be heroin before returning to his flat off College Rd.

He said he became concerned when Mr Kelleher fell asleep on a couch and his breathing became heavy.

Ms Danza said she got a phone call from Mr Ó Murchu between 1pm and 3pm on Oct 20. She went to the flat and described how they tried to rouse Mr Kelleher.

Mr Ó Murchu said he left to go to a local chemist and health shop to get smelling salts to help his friend. But Ms Danza said she didn’t recall him leaving. Gardaí said CCTV footage places Mr Ó Murchu in the two premises he named at 3.30pm and 3.53pm that day.

Ms Danza said she phoned the emergency services at 5.22pm when it became clear that Mr Kelleher was in severe difficulty.