The jury in a medical inquest into the death of a Leitrim man found at his home in 2020 has returned an open verdict. Liam Farrell, who was aged 87, died suddenly at his home in Aughamore, Rooskey, Co Leitrim, in January 2020. His family maintain that their father died in suspicious circumstances. On the 12th of January, 2020, Liam Farrell was in Reynolds Bar in Rooskey and then the nearby Weir Lodge, before walking a short distance to his home. He was found in a traumatic state at door of his house late the next afternoon and was pronounced dead soon after. The scene was forensically examined and his family believes he suffered a violent death. However, there have been no criminal charges in connection with the death of Mr Farrell.
At the inquest in the Carrick On Shannon Court House today, the Barrister for the family, Patrick McCullough called on the jury to return a verdict of Unlawful Killing after over five hours of evidence. Testimony began this morning with attending Gardai reading their records of the incident, with Garda Brian O'Connor and Detective Garda Brendan McCaffery describing attending the scene as the Ambulance service worked to resuscitate Mr Farrell. The deceased was found outside his back door, visibly bruised with a number of cuts and abrasion noticed on his hands, feet and face. A number of blood stains were noted on Mr Farrell as well as on the walls of the house, the back door and in and around a metal mop bucket at the back of the house. As other Gardai arrived at the house it was decided to treat it as a scene of a possible crime and it was sealed to the public, with family and neighbours cleared from the property.
Responding Gardai described the scene as 'strange' as Mr Farrell was discovered barefoot with some of his clothes removed. His shoes, socks, jacket and tie were located on the ground around him along with a small number of personal items. Following attempts to resuscitate him, Liam Farrell was pronounced dead at 36 minutes past 6 on the Sunday evening. He was taken to the Mortuary at Sligo University Hospital and a post mortem examination was conducted the following day. That examination was conducted by Professor Paul Hartel, a consultant pathologist at Sligo University Hospital. The official cause of death was stated as a heart attack related to severe coronary heart disease.
As part of his report, he did not provide details or cause of multiple injuries to the deceased, stating it would be speculation as he had no context for said injuries. During his evidence today, the pathologist stated that at the time of the autopsy, he had not been informed that the body had been found in suspicious circumstances. Had he been informed, he stated, he would have refused to do the autopsy as he is not a forensic pathologist. He explained that any instance where a body is found in a suspicious state and where a Garda investigation may be needed is handled by the State Pathologist. Professor Hartel stated that in this case, any post mortem should have had the full context of the case and the conditions in which the body was found.
Pictures of the deceased, the scene in which he was found and records from Professor Hartels post mortem examination were later provided to State Pathologist Doctor Linda Mulligan for analysis. In her evidence today she confirmed the Liam Farrell died of a heart attack related to severe coronary heart disease. Dr Mulligan also listed the injuries on the deceased such as the bruising to his eye, abrasion and bruising on his hands and knees as well as cuts in his feet. She presented two possibilities of events from the evidence she analyzed, with both her and her peers leaning towards the first option. These were that Mr Farrell suffered a heart attack and while in pain and confused, stumbled around picking up injuries before collapsing at his back door. The second option which, the state pathologist said could not be ruled out, was that Mr Farrell received the injuries in an assault and suffered a subsequent stress induced heart attack due to his already weakened heart. However she said in the evidence available, it was not possible identify a clear cause of the injuries.
The State Pathologists evidence was followed by an expert witness provided by the family. Professor Jack Crane, a former state pathologist of Northern Ireland and Forensic Science lecturer in Queens University argued that the physical evidence in his opinion, pointed to Liam Farrell being assaulted and subsequently suffering a stress induced heart attack. Following the medical evidence, the inquest heard from the daughter, daughter in law and son of Liam Farrell describing the afternoon on the 12th of January. The family described their suspicions that their father had been victim of a crime, referring to local accounts of a car at their fathers home the previous evening and strange footprints in the lawn of the house.
However, after 45 minutes, the jury returned an open verdict. An open verdict means that the evidence does not fully or clearly explain the cause and circumstances of death.
