Grieving father criticises lack of controls on alcohol sales
At the inquest into the death of Stephen Mungovan at the coroner’s court in Ennis, Danny Mungovan said “the consumption of alcohol was huge” on the day when his son went drinking with friends in Miltown Malbay in West Clare on October 25 last.
A post mortem of Stephen Mungovan’s remains found that he had ‘toxic’ levels of alcohol in his system. An empty 275ml bottle of vodka was found in a ditch near where Mr Mungovan fell to his death at cliffs near Spanish Point.
After a large-scale sea search, Mr Mungovan’s body was recovered from waters off Spanish Point on October 28.
On October 25, the twin had left his home at 10am to go drinking with friends and had his first bottle of Corona before being served breakfast at a pub in Miltown Malbay.
Danny Mungovan told the inquest yesterday that speaking to Stephen’s friends, he was told that his son consumed 20 bottles of beer, two Jager bombs, a vodka and red bull and then purchased two naggins of vodka later on the night of October 25.
He said: “That is an awful lot of alcohol. A huge amount. He was dead within half an hour of buying the two naggins of vodka. I have a real problem with the control of alcohol.”
Mr Mungovan said his son “got wound up in a ‘Perfect Storm’ where he got involved in a vicious adult dispute”.
The Mungovan family had previously lost another son. Michael, 22, who died after being struck by a train while working at Vauxhall Station in London in 2000.
It was revealed that Stephen Mungovan’s post mortem found that there were 248mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood — five times the legal drink driving limit.
Pathologist, Dr Vourneen Healy said that the level of alcohol in Stephen’s blood would equate to 11 to 14 units and would be around seven or eight pints.
Dr Healy said: “If he had consumed 20 bottles, that would have taken his blood alcohol level into another level at which point he would pass out. That would take him into a lethal level of alcohol.”
Clare Coroner, Isobel O’Dea said to Danny Mungovan: “It would appear that the alcohol in his system would be much less than the amount you think he consumed.”
Garda Steven Bell of Ennistymon Garda Station said that Stephen spent the day with friends drinking at different premises.
He said: “The majority of interviews with friends show that Stephen was in good form and not particularly intoxicated that day.”
Garda Bell said that a number of friends noticed that Stephen became very upset later in the night.
In his deposition, Patrick Mungovan, Stephen’s twin brother said that Stephen was “very visibly upset and crying” on the night of October 25 when he met him and asked friends, Claire O’Brien and Yvonne Woods to give Stephen a lift home.
Patrick put Stephen into the car and in her deposition, Ms O’Brien said that on the journey to his home, Stephen “was very upset and crying. He was mumbling”.
She said she helped him out of the car and put her arms around him to support him as she walked him towards the door of the family home She said: “I asked him what was wrong. He said ‘nothing’ and I’m grand” and he kinda pushed me away. He wasn’t crying but still upset. I reluctantly went back to the car.”
Ms O’Brien said she saw Stephen walk through hedges. She said: “I was concerned and I rang Patrick and I rang him and told Patrick that Stephen had not gone into the house, that he was upset and that this concerned me.”
On getting home, Patrick said that he rang Stephen when he couldn’t find him and Stephen answered but wouldn’t say where he was saying only “I will be home shortly”.
The post mortem found that Stephen died of head injuries as a result of a fall.
In giving her verdict, Isobel O’Dea returned an open verdict.
She said: “There is nothing to indicate that Stephen had any intention to take his own life. I am not at all thinking of bringing in a suicide verdict.”
Addressing Danny Mungovan, Ms O’Dea said: “Unfortunately, Mr Mungovan for you there are many questions that cannot be answered and I don’t think you are ever going to find out exactly what happened.”
