‘Ranting and raving’ man died after arrest, inquest hears

A man who was arrested after being found “ranting and raving” in a neighbour’s back garden in the early hours of the morning died soon after falling ill, while handcuffed in a garda van.

Kevin Meehan, 39, a father of two who lived at 43 Dunard, Lotamore, in Mayfield, Cork, died in the city’s Mercy University Hospital on December 20, 2011 from cardiac arrest due to excited delirium syndrome following restraint.

At the resumption yesterday of the inquest into his death, Cork City Coroner’s Court was told Mr Meehan was found in a highly agitated state in the garden of Patricia McGill’s house at 13, Dunard, at around 1am.