A CAR salesman who became trapped underwater in a car after a customer drove the vehicle off a pier has told an inquest he only realised when they were “going over the side” that the man was “on a suicide mission”, an inquest heard yesterday.
Richard Byrne (45), Chanel Road, Artane, Dublin 5, drowned after he drove a red Mini Cooper he was test-driving into the sea off the middle pier in Howth on July 13th, 2010.
Jeremy Beshoff, owner of Beshoff Ltd car sales, Howth, was a front seat passenger in the car at the time and managed to escape from the submerged vehicle and swim to the surface.
Recalling the episode at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday, Mr Beshoff said Mr Byrne reversed the car on the middle pier in Howth before letting the clutch out and accelerating hard.
“We went straight over the side between two boats,” he said.
“This happened so quickly I only realised when we were going over the side that Mr Byrne was on a suicide mission.”
Mr Beshoff made an attempt to push against the door with his body and the car began rapidly filling with water. He then made a second attempt to escape. “I knew I only had a couple of seconds before I would not be able to breathe. I then pushed the side of my arm and elbow and all my body strength against the window, and when the car was at the bottom the window broke,” he said.
He got out through the door and swam to the surface, where a man, Joseph Caulfield, pulled him out of the water. “I was stunned and explained to Joe that the driver was still in the car and I felt it was deliberate and he tried to kill me,” said Mr Beshoff, who did not know Mr Byrne and had never met him before.
The inquest heard Mr Byrne had pressed the control locking the doors before driving off the pier. When questioned by the coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, Mr Beshoff said he did not think this locking of the doors had been deliberate.
He said he had had no concerns about Mr Byrne during the test-drive.
The coroner commended Mr Beshoff for his presence of mind in escaping, and described it as a “really harrowing incident”.
He said: “I’m really very sorry to hear what happened here. You could have lost your life and I hope you’ve been able to come to terms with this.”
The businessman said he had “just about” been able to do so.
Mr Byrne, who had a history of depression and who had issues with self harm and suicide ideation in the past, was taken from the water by a diver.
A postmortem found the married man, who had been separated from his wife for about a year, had died of drowning. He had two young children.
Dr Farrell recorded a verdict of death by suicide. “What isn’t really explained is why Richard should have involved Mr Beshoff at all. It’s unusual to say the least – with this type of incident – to involve a complete stranger,” he said.
Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard Mr Byrne took the red Mini Cooper for a 10-minute test drive on his own on the afternoon of July 13th, and then returned to tell Mr Beshoff he thought there was something wrong with the reverse gear and that he needed “to come down on the pier bit”.
Mr Beshoff said he would go for a drive with Mr Byrne, and Mr Byrne could show him what was wrong with the gear.
During the drive Mr Byrne told the businessman he was going to buy the car for his wife for her birthday.
Mr Beshoff said he would be happy to hold the car for him until the day of her birthday.
Garda Sgt Colm McConnell, now retired, said the deceased intentionally drove off the pier, but why Mr Beshoff had been involved was not explained.
He said Mr Byrne may have forgotten someone was in the car with him. Mr Byrne was keen on cars and had taken cars on test drives in the past, he added.
The inquest heard there was an incident a year earlier on Howth Hill where the deceased was in a car and had the idea of driving into the water. “It was a matter under investigation for us and was coming to a head for us,” Mr McConnell said.