A doctor who died of a stroke following his arrest for drink-driving died of natural causes, an inquest in Kilkenny decided yesterday.
The inquest was told the post-mortem found he had had a massive cerebral haemorrhage, and there was no alcohol in his system when he died.
Dr Blair Murray, a retired doctor, aged 71, was visiting Bagenalstown, Co Carlow, near his home, on October 17th last when, at about 5 p.m., he inadvertently drove the wrong way down a recently-created one-way street. He hit another car, but he was driving slowly and there was little damage and no injuries.
Gardaí were called, and Garda Nicholas Rowe arrived in a squad car. He told the inquest he saw an elderly man lying back in the driver's seat, with his legs outstretched. His eyes seemed watery and his speech slurred. The man found it quite difficult to communicate, but when asked was he all right he said he was.
There was no smell of alcohol, but Garda Rowe said: "From my observations I thought I was dealing with a drunk driver."
He said he had great difficulty in getting him out of the car, but did so with the help of passers-by. The man had great difficulty in walking. He got him into the car, and informed him he was arresting him on suspicion of drink-driving. "He appeared to be suffering very much under the influence of alcohol, though he appeared to understand what I was saying," he said.
Garda Rowe left Bagenalstown for Carlow Garda station. He said that on their arrival at Carlow Garda station Dr Murray needed assistance to get out of the car and to the building.
According to Garda Rowe, Dr Murray told them he had had a stroke about a year earlier and was a diabetic. They tried to contact a local doctor but they got an answering machine. They called an ambulance, which arrived at about 6.15 p.m. and took him to Kilkenny hospital. Garda Rowe followed in order to get samples. In the hospital the doctor on duty said he had probably had a stroke and might not survive the night. He died later that night.
Mr Roy Farrell, for the Murray family, asked Garda Rowe if he recalled a conversation with a Mrs Doran, who observed the accident and who had said a doctor should be called. He said he did not recall but he accepted he might have had. Asked if it had occurred to him that there might be a medical problem, he said: "No. I felt Dr Murray was drunk and I would have to bring him to a Garda station to process him in the normal manner."
Sgt Thomas Ellis was also in the station, and he said he had asked Dr Murray about his condition and whether he was a diabetic. "I had an incident myself when I arrested a diabetic with the same symptoms." He agreed with Mr Farrell that gardaí were not specifically trained to deal with such a situation.
Mr Farrell handed in a copy of the model guidelines for the police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for people in custody, including provision for medical details in the custody record, and asked the coroner to add a rider to his verdict recommending similar provisions in this State.
The coroner, Mr Rory Hogan, said in giving his verdict in accordance with the medical evidence, that he did not propose to add such guidelines.