Independent forensic analysis of the clothes of a man who died following an incident in Garda custody has raised "some cause for concern" and may be significant, a lawyer for his family told the Dublin City Coroner's Court.
Terence Wheelock (20), Summerhill, Dublin, was found unconscious in a cell at Store Street Garda station last June after he apparently attempted to hang himself with a cord from his tracksuit bottoms.
He was taken to the Mater hospital by ambulance but never regained consciousness. He died there 3½ months later on September 16th, 2005. His family alleges that the circumstances of his death differ from the Garda version of events and that he was mistreated while in a cell.
Seán Gillane, barrister for the Wheelock family, told a brief hearing yesterday that independent forensic analysis of Mr Wheelock's clothes and the ligature used in his death had been carried out.
The results have now been sent on for further forensic evaluation, which should be completed by February. "The forensic testing has been undertaken and the preliminary report has been sent on for further evaluation . . . Its results are some cause for concern."
Michael Norton, a forensic scientist at Garda headquarters who examined the ligature used in Mr Wheelock's death as well as his clothes, told the coroner's court last month there were blood stains on some of Mr Wheelock's undergarments.
The case will be mentioned again briefly on February 5th next before a date is set for the resumption of the full inquest .
Securing Mr Wheelock's clothing and the ligature used in his death for independent examination came after months of legal wrangling between the family's legal team and the Garda Commissioner's office.
Permission was denied for the clothing to be sent to Britain and the family's experts were eventually permitted to carry out the testing in the Forensic State Laboratory.
Mr Gillane asked the court if the family's forensic experts could now examine Mr Wheelock's DNA tissue samples that State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy had in her possession. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell invited him to write to his office with this request.
Dr Farrell told the court that he had received a copy of the original photographs from the Mater hospital which are said to show abrasions and minor lacerations to Mr Wheelock's body.