An inquest into the death of a 29year-old pregnant woman who took ill at work and died shortly afterwards was an "absolute nightmare" for her husband, the High Court was told yesterday.
Mr Leo Leyden (38), a farmer from Ballinfull, Co Sligo, in judicial review proceedings taken against the Sligo County Coroner, Dr Desmond Moran, has asked the High Court to quash the verdict of the inquest held into the death of his wife Caroline a year ago. He has also asked the court to direct a new inquest.
The inquest returned a verdict that Mrs Caroline Leyden died from a massive haemorrhage.
The court was told that during the inquest in Sligo on February 19th 1997, there had been a dispute between the coroner and Mr Leyden's solicitor, Mr Damien Tansey.
It was claimed that Dr Moran had refused to allow the solicitor to cross-examine some witnesses and had roared and shouted at the solicitor.
In his grounds of opposition to the application for judicial review, Dr Moran claims he did not conduct the inquest in an arbitrary or unfair manner and was not motivated by bias. He states that he exercised his powers correctly in relation to the calling of witnesses and in relation to statements he made.
Dr Moran claims he did not reach a conclusion before the evidence was heard and alleges that Mr Tansey did not conduct his examination in a proper fashion.
Mrs Leyden died on January 30th, 1996. She was nine months pregnant and was stated to have been in perfect health. She worked as a general operative at the Tractec Ltd factory in Sligo.
In court yesterday Mr Adrian Hardiman SC, for Mr Leyden, told Mr Justice Sheridan, who is President of the Circuit Court but was sitting yesterday as a High Court judge, that Mrs Leyden fell in the reception area of the factory. She was removed to hospital but died 55 minutes later, at 12.05 p.m.
Because her death was unexplained, an inquest was held with a jury.
That inquest was an "absolute nightmare" for Mr Leyden, counsel said.
Mr Hardiman said the inquest was marred by considerable scenes of controversy. Mr Tansey had informed the inquest that a stenographer's note was being taken. That had led to a question by the coroner as to whether Mr Tansey's comment was a threat.
"Things seemed to go downhill thereafter," counsel said.
The hearing resumes on Monday.