A Dublin man who died from severe injuries to his face, neck and head following an assault in prison had to be identified by fingerprint and palm analysis, an inquest has heard.
Martin Salinger, a 43-year-old horse and carriage driver originally from The Liberties in Dublin, had been on remand in Cloverhill Prison, having been charged two months before his death in connection with drugs and firearms offences.
Mr Salinger was discovered unresponsive in his cell on the morning of October 5th, 2024 and was pronounced deceased after suffering fatal wounds.
Three prisoners were in the two-man cell when the fatal incident occurred. One of the two other prisoners sustained injuries in the row, which is understood to have involved a makeshift weapon, and was treated in the prison infirmary.
A brief sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Thursday heard that Mr Salinger had to be identified by fingerprint and not by a visual manner following his death.
Det Garda James Cunningham of the Garda National Technical Bureau said Mr Salinger‘s body was removed from his cell on the morning of October 5th and taken by gardaí to Dublin City Mortuary.
Mr Cunningham told coroner Dr Cróna Gallagher that he took a set of finger and palm prints from Mr Salinger later that day following a postmortem.
Dr Gallagher noted that the finger and palm prints were subsequently compared with a database and confirmed by Dr Kim Connick of Forensic Science Ireland.
Mr Salinger‘s medical cause of death was noted by Dr Gallagher as blunt force head, neck and face injuries.
As criminal proceedings have commenced in relation to Mr Salinger‘s death, a request for the inquest to be adjourned was granted.
Separately, an inquest into the death of Croatian man Josip Štrok, a 31-year-old carpenter who lived in central Dublin, was opened on Thursday.
A brief sitting heard that Mr Štrok died as a result of blunt force head injuries.
Mr Štrok died four days after suffering severe head injuries at Grange View Way, Clondalkin, on March 30th last year.
His mother, Julia Štrok Underwood, attended the hearing remotely and gave evidence that she identified the body of her son at Tallaght University Hospital’s intensive care unit on the day of his death.
Detective inspector Padraig Boyce requested an adjournment of the inquest as criminal proceedings have commenced, which was granted by Dr Gallagher.
Mark Lee (43), Connor Rafferty (20) and Anthony Delappe (18) have all been charged with Mr Štrok’s murder.
Dr Gallagher offered her “sincere sympathies” to Ms Štrok Underwood on her son’s “very sad death.”
