LE Eithne crewman found guilty of manslaughter

A 21 year-old apprentice mechanic on the Navy flagship L.E Eithne has been convicted of the manslaughter of a fellow crewman who drowned in the River Liffey by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.

After three hours of deliberations, the jury unanimously found Sean Lundon of James Connolly Park, Tipperary town not guilty of murder but guilty of the manslaughter of Able Seaman Brian Gorey, aged 21, of Devon Close, Castletroy View, Limerick, at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin on 22 April 2001.

Brian Gorey, who could not swim, drowned shortly after he was spotted in the water by one of the crew who put out a 'man overboard' alert.

Efforts to revive him when he was taken from the water failed.

During the trial the court heard that Mr Gorey had fallen asleep on a couch in the ship’s recreational room a few hours earlier after a bit of a party with a number of crewmen, including Lundon.

A broken ashtray and a trail of blood from the recreational room to the ship’s desk led gardaí to question Lundon, who was the last person in the room with Mr Gorey.

Lundon admitted to gardaí that he broke a brush handle on the deceased's head in the row and said he took the deceased up on deck for air but he "slipped away" into the water and drowned.

In a statement, he said he hit Brian Gorey with a brush "once or twice" after he [Gorey] threw an ashtray at him: "Brian got up and came over and started having a go at me."

He then picked him up and took him up on deck for some air: "I was sitting him down on the ledge of the afterdeck ...just then he pushed me away. He slipped and was gone from me. He was gone into the water," the statement read.

He also told gardaí "I think I shouted for the QM" [quartermaster] but said he "panicked and ran inside".

The statement continued: "I'm sorry for what has happened to Brian", and for the deceased's family.

The Deputy State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy told the trial that a post mortem examination established that while Mr Gorey was assaulted before he went overboard, he died from drowning.

She said in her opinion the injuries were fairly minor, which of themselves, would not cause permanent damage or death.

She added that the injuries to Mr Gorey may have caused temporary concussion or unconsciousness but he was alive going into the water.

The Gorey family cried outside the courtroom following the verdict.

Mr Justice Carney thanked the jury and remanded Mr Lundon on continuing bail. He will be sentenced on June 27.