A golfing holiday in the Costa del Sol turned to tragedy when one of four friends fell 12ft to his death on the night of their arrival, an inquest in Dublin heard yesterday.
Michael Francis Stynes (47), Fairways Green, Glasnevin, Dublin, died from severe head injuries sustained when he fell through a gap in the wall of an apartment block in southern Spain in the early hours of March 11th this year, Dublin County Coroner's Court heard.
Mr Stynes, his brother Mark and their brothers-in-law Barry Ryan and John Amerlynck arrived in Spain on the night of March 10th for a holiday in the new apartment the four had recently purchased together.
The court heard that when the four arrived at their apartment in the Spirit of Mojacar apartment complex, Mojacar, at approximately 9.15pm, it was in complete darkness because there were no light bulbs.
The water had not been connected and the two light switches outside the main door of the apartment to turn on the lights in the corridor were not working. Otherwise the apartment was fully furnished.
The court heard that the four men went out for a meal, followed by a few drinks. They returned to the flat about 4am.
At some point during the night, the inquest heard that Michael got up and after leaving the apartment he fell through a large hole in the wall directly opposite the apartment door.
Mark Stynes told the inquest that at about 10am on March 11th he was woken up by the Spanish police, who brought him to a hole in the wall, behind which there was a 12ft drop.
Lying below, face-up, was his brother's body.
Garda David Main told the inquest that Mr Stynes may have been attempting to go downstairs to use the toilet and may have mistaken the opening for a stairwell and fallen. "He was probably disorientated and had never been to the apartment before," he said.
Mark Stynes told the court that the wall opposite the apartment had been broken to install a double door for some sort of gym facility.
"Michael would have walked into a dark corridor. It was pitch dark and all you would have seen was a shade of light. It was totally unprotected and completely open," he said.
Mr Stynes told the court that the block was officially open and had five permanent residents.
Barry Ryan told the court that no one alerted them to the dangers. "There was nothing there to prevent people from falling out," he said.
Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty criticised the builders for failing to alert people to the danger. "It would seem to be very casual that the people building the apartment didn't put up any warning. If this had happened in Ireland, it would be subject to health and safety law and we could make recommendations, but we can't here," he said. "This was a very tragic and avoidable death."
The court heard that Mr Stynes' heart was removed at an autopsy in Almeria on March 12th and was still in Spain. Dr Eamon Lean subsequently carried out a second autopsy in Dublin.
Dr Geraghty recorded the cause of death as cerebral contusions and haemorrhage due to major cranial trauma and returned a verdict of accidental death.