The results of a post-mortem examination yesterday on Dublin actor Mr Robert Doolin (35) could not be released until today "for operational reasons", a Garda spokesman said last night.
Mr Doolin was pronounced dead at St James's Hospital in Dublin yesterday, following an incident at the Pony Cab taxi company in South Great George's Street just before 4 a.m.
Garda sources said inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the actor's death were continuing overnight. Mr Doolin had arrived at the taxi company at around 3 a.m., and appears to have become involved in a dispute with a security man. But they seemed to part on reasonably good terms, eyewitnesses told gardai.
Mr Doolin went home to Crumlin but was thought to be still "quite agitated". He is reported to have picked up a baton and ridden back into town on a motorcycle.
He arrived for the second time at the taxi company where, eyewitnesses reported, he got into another dispute and had to be restrained. A number of people held him. According to eyewitness accounts given to gardai, he was not struck. When the gardai arrived at the scene, he was lying on the ground. He was taken to St James's Hospital.
There were reports yesterday that Mr Doolin suffered from asthma, and that this might have exacerbated his agitated condition and hastened his death. But until the results of the post-mortem are revealed, this is only speculation.
The post-mortem was carried out by the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison.
Gardai conducted interviews with a number of people who were at the taxi company office. The Garda spokesman said they were not seeking to interview further witnesses.
A spokesman for Pony Cabs, Mr Joey Pleass, said the company had no comment to make until after the Garda had conducted all their inquiries and the results of the post-mortem were known.