Man, 92, who mistakenly poured washing detergent over cornflakes died of poisoning, inquest told

The coroner, Dr Cróna Gallagher, said the deceased’s dementia and heart disease were also contributory factors in his death

Aisling O'Grady (left) and Derek McDonald (right) leave the Dublin District Coroner's Court on Thursday afternoon after the inquest into the death of their father, Tom McDonald. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

An elderly Dublin man died as a result of complications of poisoning himself after he mistakenly poured washing detergent on a bowl of cornflakes instead of milk, an inquest has heard.

Tom McDonald (92), a married father of five from The Elms, Donnybrook, Dublin, died on March 9, 2023, at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin where he had been brought after accidentally ingesting the detergent in the middle of the night.