Nurse made house call after Macroom man failed to answer his phone and found him dead, court told

Psychiatric nurse told court she called to deceased's home when she was visiting a number of clients in West Cork on Tuesday, February 6, 2024, in order to do a welfare check

Michael Foley was found dead in his home in Macroom between January 31 and February 1, 2024.

A psychiatric nurse checking on a 61-year-old man whose phone was ringing out and who missed a medical appointment decided to call to his home only to find him dead in a pool of blood on the floor of his kitchen/living room in Macroom.

This evidence was given by witness Ciara Harmon on Thursday at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

The prosecution said 61-year-old Michael Foley was murdered at his home in Annville, Barrett’s Place in Macroom on February 1, 2024. 32-year-old Daniel Hourigan who is originally from Farranree in Cork City pleaded not guilty to his murder.

Ms Harmon said Michael Foley moved into his home at Macroom in October 2022 and had the assistance of a care team, particularly in regard to his medical appointments and related matters. He was on medication for cardiovascular and stomach issues. 

She said he had some difficulties with alcohol and would drink Smirnoff vodka neat and then drink Lucozade when he woke up the next morning.

His accommodation in Macroom was managed by the Simon Community through Cork County Council. He was due to meet Ms Harmon in Cork city at 11am on Thursday February 1, 2024, but he failed to turn up and his phone rang out in several calls from her. 

The care team called on Tuesdays and Thursdays so it was not until Tuesday, February 6, that Ms Harmon called to his home when she was visiting a number of clients in West Cork. Again, there was no answer from several phone calls.

“I entered his house to do a welfare check. I approached the living room door. The first thing I saw was his feet on the floor behind the door in the living room kitchen area.

“He appeared to be lying on his right side. There was some clothing covering his face. There was a large pool of congealed blood all around him… I was sure he was deceased. There was some material partially covering his torso and his head.

“There was a large blood spatter across the back wall and there appeared to be blood on the couch as well. It was quite a metallic stale smell that was in the room.

“In my professional opinion, he was dead. I did not touch him. I returned back to the front door, closed the door and rang the emergency services,” Ms Harmon said.

Cross-examined by defence senior counsel Ray Boland, she said Mr Foley had been doing well for a period of about six months, but that in the three to four months before his death, his drinking had escalated. 

And despite keeping his house well, he stopped making an effort to conceal his drinking. Care workers sometimes found broken glass on the floor of his house.

Niamh Kelleher, case manager, said she tried to ring Mr Foley on February 1, 2024, but there was no answer. She said he kept his house well and one wall was decorated in photographs and trinkets.

Detective Sergeant Danielle Hegarty examined the scene where Michael Foley was found in a large pool of blood in his home. “He had a nasty gash to his left ear and to his arm, which was outstretched,” she said.

Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland explained what was meant by the response to the murder charge made by the accused when he said: “Not guilty of murder but guilty of assisting an offender under Section 7 Subsection 2 of the Criminal Law Act 1997.” 

She said in non-legal language, “what that means is that he is saying to you that he helped another person when they committed an offence to prevent them being caught,” but that he is not guilty of murder.

The trial continues.