The family of sports broadcaster Johnny Lyons who died a month after a fall at his home have questions about his care, an inquest heard.
Mr Lyons of Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1 was a sports editor at 98FM and had his own radio show on Today FM.
Described as a larger than life character, the broadcaster was found dead at his apartment on August 19th 2015.
He was recovering at the time from the fall a month earlier, which had been causing him severe pain, the inquest heard.
He suffered a hairline fracture to his left knee following a fall at his doorstep on July 19th 2015. He was on his way to knock on the door of a neighbouring apartment when he fell, Dublin Coroner’s Court heard.
“He was due to broadcast early the following morning but he couldn’t get to sleep as there was noise next door,” his brother Maurice Lyons told the court.
“He decided to call next door but he tripped and his left leg got caught under his body. He blacked out with the pain,” Mr Lyons said.
When he woke, the 6’4” DJ crawled back into his own apartment and into bed. The next morning, he phoned work to say he could not make it.
Later that day, a colleague went to his house, called an ambulance and Mr Lyons was brought to the Mater Hospital. Staff were unable to take an x-ray due to the level of swelling around his knee and Mr Lyons spent a week resting with his leg elevated at his brother’s home in Naas.
Upon his return to hospital, he was diagnosed with a small hairline fracture. A brace was placed on the injured knee and Mr Lyons was given crutches. He was recovering without incident until the weekend before his death, the inquest heard.
His colleague and friend John Duggan called to see him on Sunday, August 16th 2015. "He greeted me on crutches. He was walking gingerly and in obvious pain. The pain was significant based on his demeanor," Mr Duggan said.
He said Mr Lyons told him he’d been fine until the previous day and could not understand why he was in so much pain at this point of his recovery. Mr Lyons told him he was in so much pain the previous day that he did not eat.
Mr Duggan went out for groceries and painkillers and returned to the apartment.
“Johnny was very self reliant, he felt pain killers might help,” Mr Duggan said.
Concerns were raised days later when Mr Lyons failed to answer his phone. He was found dead in his apartment on Wednesday August 19th 2015.
Maurice Lyons asked Garda Paul Martin if there was any medical leaflets or compression socks at the apartment and the garda replied no. The family said they are concerned about the level of care Mr Lyons received in relation to his recovery.
The coroner adjourned the inquest to allow for a consultant orthopaedic surgeon to give evidence at a later date.