Accused got will drawn up before suicide

A man who was facing a murder charge when he took his own life in a courthouse holding cell had instructed his solicitor to draw up his will, an inquest has heard.

Shane Rogers, aged 32, from Deery’s Terrace, Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, died by suicide following a remand hearing at Cloverhill Courthouse on Dec 20, 2011. He had been charged with the murder of Crossmaglen GAA player James Hughes, 35, in a shooting incident in Dundalk, Co Louth, nine days earlier.

Solicitor Martin Crilly told Dublin Coroner’s Court that when he spoke to Mr Rogers after he had been charged on the evening of Monday, Dec 12, his client was “very distraught and very obviously suicidal”. Mr Rogers told him that he intended to kill himself at the first opportunity.