Schoolboy Toyosi Shitta-Bey, who was killed in west Dublin on Good Friday, died from a stab wound to the chest, the inquest into his death heard today.
Toyosi (15), from The Boulevarde, Mount Eustace, Tyrellstown, was a third year student at Hartstown Community School. He was on his way back from the National Aquatic Centre with friends on the night of April 2nd when the stabbing took place.
His parents Segun and Bola were accompanied by up to seven friends from the local community at the opening of an inquest into their son’s death at Dublin County Coroner’s Court, Tallaght today. The couple have six other children.
The inquest heard that a postmortem examination by the State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy found that he died of a single stab wound to his chest.
Inspector Kieran McEneaney of Finglas Garda station told the Dublin County Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty that criminal proceedings have been instituted and that an individual has been charged. He said Garda enquiries are ongoing.
Inspector McEneaney applied for an adjournment of the inquest under Section 25.2 of the Coroner’s Act 1962, which coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty granted.
“This is a very tragic case. Toyosi was only a young boy. I want to extend my sympathies to his parents and to his family,” said Dr Geraghty.
The coroner said he was opening the inquest to facilitate the family in getting a death certificate. “I’m not enquiring any further because there are criminal charges,” said Dr Geraghty. “It will all depend on what happens in the criminal courts as to whether I will open the inquest again.”
Ms Shitta-Bey, who identified the body of her son at James Connolly Memorial Hospital following his death, was visibly upset before the hearing and was comforted by a female friend. During the brief hearing she was too upset to read her statement in the witness box.