Alcohol and drug in man’s system

A Priory Hall resident who took his own life was "intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine", an inquest heard.

Fiachra Daly, 38, was found dead on July 15 last year, at Churchwell Avenue, Belmayne, Dublin 13, the house his family had been living in since 2011 following their evacuation from Priory Hall.

His partner, Stephanie Meehan, told the Dublin coroner that on the night of July 14 she had gone to bed around 10pm, while Mr Daly stayed up. Their son woke up and she gone to look after him, falling asleep on his bed. When she woke in the morning she thought Fiachra had gone to work but saw his van outside.

Ms Meehan said that Mr Daly was not on any medication and had no previous history of depression. No note or letter was found.

“It happened completely out of the blue. Everybody was very surprised,” she said. “He was a very happy, kind person. Everyone was equally shocked and still, to this day, are shocked.”

On the Sunday evening, Mr Daly was anxious that she fill out her part of a financial statement for an extension of their mortgage moratorium. They had to do this “constantly”, she said, but he “seemed more stressed about it than usual”.

At autopsy, the toxicology screen found that there was cocaine cut with the heart drug Lignocaine and horse worming tablet Levamisole in Mr Daly’s system, as well as a blood alcohol level of 318 milligrams.

Coroner Brian Farrell said that this was a “very high level” of alcohol.

“When this happened Fiachra was intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine,” he said.

Dr Farrell said because there were drugs and a “high level of alcohol” in Mr Daly’s system, it is not possible to say he was in his “clear mind” when he took his own life. It was a self-inflicted death, added Dr Farrell, but the question of intention had not been satisfied for a legal verdict of suicide. He returned an open verdict.