A double inquest has heard how a father and son were found dead at their home in Co Donegal just two days before Christmas.
Daniel Duffy and his son Damien were discovered at their bungalow in Windyhall on the outskirts of Letterkenny on December 23rd, 2021 after a carer called around at 10.30am.
Daniel Duffy (88) was found dead in his bed. Damien (50) was found a short time later by gardaí in a disused car in a shed at the rear of the home.
The inquests were held by Donegal county coroner, Dr Denis McCauley in Letterkenny on Friday.
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HSE care assistant Bridgeen Doherty told the inquest she called to the home and found the front door unlocked.
The blinds were pulled down in Daniel’s bedroom and he did not reply to Ms Doherty.
She said it was obvious that he had died, presumed it had been in his sleep and called an ambulance.
She then noticed there was blood on the bed and on Mr Duffy’s neck and ear.
In the living area she scraped her hand on broken glass on the door, noticed it was black with soot and knew immediately something was wrong. The emergency services subsequently arrived.
Ms Doherty told the inquest she had been looking after Mr Duffy since 2021.
“He was a lovely man, a real gentleman, I loved Danny,” she said.
Garda Sergeant Elaine Gordon told the inquest she got a call of a sudden death and arrived at the house at 10.36am.
She attempted to phone Mr Duffy’s son Damien but got no response.
She told how she found dark bruising on the deceased man’s right hand as well as blood on his left ear and on his pillow.
She then moved to the kitchen and realised there had been a fire there. She said her suspicions had been aroused and something “didn’t add up” when she noticed blood coming out of Mr Duffy’s ear and some hair on the bed.
A doctor pronounced Mr Duffy dead at 3.15pm.
Garda Sergeant Aidan Doherty, a scene of crimes officer, said he suspected there had been an interaction with another person.
Detective Sergeant Seamus O’Donnell of the ballistics division at garda headquarters in Dublin said the fire was most likely set intentionally at the rear of the livingroom area by lighting a newspaper or something flammable.
Giving evidence via video-link, pathologist Dr Sally Ann Collis said there was evidence of blunt force trauma and that the deceased had received bruises and lacerations to his head, neck and upper limbs.
He also suffered bruising on the backs of his forearms which may have been defensive in nature.
Garda Inspector Sean McDaid said he believed he Mr Duffy died as a result of blunt force head injuries caused by an intracerebral haemorrhage inflicted by another.
The inquest then turned to the death of Damien Duffy.
Having become concerned for him, gardaí initially searched nearby woods before checking a shed at the back of the Duffy property. He was found deceased in the driver’s seat of an old Peugeot 206 GTI car. A petrol leaf blower was also found in the car.
Pathologist Dr Collis told the inquest that her opinion was that Damien Duffy had died as a result of carbon monoxide toxicity due to inhaling toxins.
The inquest jury found Daniel Duffy died as a result of blunt force head injuries (intracerebral haemorrhaging) inflicted by another.
Damien Duffywas found to have died of carbon monoxide toxicity inhalation of products of combustion, namely a petrol leaf blower, in a confined space. The jury found that death was as a result of suicide.
