The family of a senior garda who died by suicide at Ballymun Garda station more than six years ago are “anxious” that the stresses of his work life be explored at his inquest, their barrister has said.
Det Supt Colm Fox, late of Malahide, Co Dublin, was found dead in his office on February 10th, 2018. He was the lead investigator into the 2016 gun attack on the Regency Hotel in north Dublin. The attack, a major escalation in the feud between the Kinahan and Hutch organised crime groups, resulted in the death of Kinahan associate David Byrne.
Mark Harty SC, instructed by Fahy Bambury solicitors, for Det Supt Fox’s widow Edel Fox, told Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Tuesday,that the bereaved family want the inquest – due to begin in November – to explore “as fully as possible the stresses under which Colm was working at the time”.
Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said certain aspects of Det Supt Fox’s professional life were “inextricably” linked to his tragic death. She said she wanted evidence at the inquest to be handled in a “sensitive manner” given it would be reported and heard in open court.
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Mr Harty also said certain letters disclosed to him in advance of the inquest proceedings remain redacted and that in order for the inquest to carry out its function, these may need to be unredacted, which he said the family would be happy with.
Eoin Sreenan BL, for An Garda Síochána, said his client had some concerns over whether certain content contained in the letters falls within the scope of the inquest.
Dr Cullinane said any notes or documents left by a person whose death is the subject on an inquest “are within the realm of the coroner’s control”. She said it was not for An Garda Síochána to decide whether such documents were redacted or unredacted and that going down such a route would “feed into rumour and suspicion”, something she wanted to avoid.
She noted that a coroner often has possession of documents left by a deceased person at the time of their death. She said these will sometimes support a certain verdict, in that the documents might reveal the “intention” of the deceased at the time of their death. She said it was not often the practice of the court to openly discuss the content of such documents.
The court heard that the original versions of the letters in question were in the possession of the Fox family, returned to them by Dr Cullinane.
The court heard 55 witness depositions have been provided to the coroner’s office relating to Det Supt Fox’s death. Dr Cullinane said she would likely not seek to hear from all 55 at the inquest and some statements may be read into the record.
She said the inquest would hear evidence from the week before Det Supt Fox’s death and the events of February 10th, 2018, the day of his death.
Dr Cullinane said she did not intend to mention Det Supt Fox’s case again before the full inquest hearing takes place on November 18th. The inquest is expected to run over three days.
Ms Fox and several other relatives were present in court on Tuesday. She previously took High Court proceedings against the State over her husband’s death and his working conditions at the time.
Det Supt Fox died during the Special Criminal Court trial of Patrick Hutch, who was accused of Byrne’s murder. Mr Hutch, of Champion’s Avenue, Dublin 1, had pleaded not guilty to the charge. The trial collapsed in February 2019 due to the death of Det Supt Fox. Nobody has been convicted of Byrne’s murder.
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