Tom O’Gorman’s death has yet to be ‘fully ventilated’, inquest hears

The details of how Dublin man Tom O’Gorman was killed by his tenant have yet to be “fully ventilated”, an inquest into his death has heard.

The 39-year-old was killed by his Italian flatmate, Saverio Bellante, in 2014.

Mr Bellante also admitted eating O’Gorman’s body parts.

Mr Bellante was found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity at the Central Criminal Court last July.

Mr O’Gorman’s family have “grave concerns” about Mr Bellante’s treatment in the lead up to the killing, the inquest at Dublin Coroner’s Court heard.

At the resumed inquest, before coroner Dr Brian Farrell, barrister Aisling Mulligan made a formal request for a full inquest hearing in order to fully examine the circumstances of Mr O'Gorman's death.

“The family feel the matter was not fully ventilated at the trial. There was no guilt attached to Mr Bellante’s actions.

“He was found not guilty by reason of insanity, but large elements of the case were not ventilated because of the type of case that was run,” Ms Mulligan said.

“The family have grave concerns in relation to the background of Mr Bellante’s treatment, on the grounds of a danger attached to his treatment and how that led to [O’Gorman’s] death,” Ms Mulligan said.

Mr O'Gorman, a journalist and researcher at the Iona Institute, died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head and stab wounds to the chest at his home in Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock, Dublin 15, in January 2014.

The inquest into his death was opened on March 26th, 2014, and adjourned to allow for an investigation and subsequent trial at the Central Criminal Court.

Ms Mulligan said that there wasn’t “a full criminal trial because the first question raised was the question of insanity as a defence”.

‘Unusual case’

“It is an unusual case,” Ms Mulligan told the court.

She submitted a request for the inquest to be re-opened under the Coroner’s Act 1962, Section 40.

Insp Colm Murphy said a full trial had taken place and matters relating to the killing had been finalised, but told the coroner that he had no objection to a full inquest hearing going ahead.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said he would reach a decision and give reasons for that decision early next month.

“Your submission relates to special reasons. I wanted to hear you before I made any decision. I will now take some days to consider it,” Dr Farrell said.