Former TD’s son died from multi-drug toxicity

A son of former TD Charlie O’Connor died from multi-drug toxicity, a coroner has found. Father-of-one Robert O’Connor, 35, was found dead in his home at Rialto Cottages in Dublin 8 on April 19 last year.

An inquest held at Dublin Coroner’s Court this week heard he died with a combination of heroin, alcohol, anti-depressants and sedative medication in his system. He was found by his friend James Kidd, who has since died.

Mr Kidd told Garda Barry Hanrahan he went to the house after a mutual friend, Robert Kane, asked him to check on Mr O’Connor because he was worried about him. The court heard Mr O’Connor had called Mr Kane three days before saying he wanted to go on a “bender”.

Mr Kidd told gardaí he was concerned when there was no answer so he slipped the lock on the door to gain entry. He found Mr O’Connor and raised the alarm. Paramedics found no signs of life when they arrived.

The inquest heard from Mr O’Connor’s father, former Fianna Fáil TD Charlie O’Connor that he last saw him three days earlier when he called to the cottage and gave him a small amount of money. He had a missed call from him at 11pm that night. He called to the house the following day with a prescription but did not get an answer so put the tablets through the letter box.

Mr O’Connor told the coroner his son had had a problem with alcohol for which he had sought treatment and had a long history of taking drugs. He had a “very positive side”, he said, and was attending college at the time of his death.

“The death of my son Robert came as a great shock to me but I will certainly remember the good and positive times we had together,” he told the coroner.

The cause of death was given as multi-drug toxicity. Coroner Brian Farrell returned a verdict of death by misadventure.