The Dublin City Coroner yesterday recorded a verdict of death by suicide in the case of a senior Bank of Ireland official who died shortly after he was transferred to another branch against his wishes.
However, Dr Brian Farrell stopped short of formally requesting the bank's management to review without prejudice its grievance procedures. He instead asked that his sentiments on this issue be conveyed to the bank by its legal representatives present at yesterday's hearing.
The inquest into the death of the 49-year-old Dublin-based father of three on July 8th, 2006, heard he had become extremely stressed after he was informed by his manager in May of that year that he was to be transferred to another branch.
The dead man, who had suffered a nervous breakdown requiring ongoing medication five years earlier after he failed to obtain a promotion at that time, had been functioning well prior to this news being communicated to him. But his wife told the court that in the days before he killed himself, he was "deeply disturbed and hurt".
At a meeting with management on the day before his death, one of several which took place, he had also conveyed to them that he was "devastated" by the move and that he was being put under too much pressure, she said.
"Everything was going well. . . [ but] it was like he'd been shot," she said.
He had been on sick leave prior to resuming his job with the bank at his new branch on the Monday before he died, having previously raised his concerns with his new branch manager. "He had become very withdrawn from Friday," his wife said. "I just took it that he would probably just try to go with the flow on Monday."
Two Bank of Ireland officials who attended the meeting with the man and his wife the day before he died, told the court of their shock and sorrow when they heard the news of his death. His transfer was one of 12 that took place around that time. At the meeting, details of a medical report from the company's consultant occupational health physician were discussed.
The man had hoped he would be allowed to return to his former branch, and believed that the medical report would agree with this.
However, the court heard that the assessment in the report was that he was finding it difficult to settle in, but would do so in time. It did not recommend that he be allowed to return to his former branch.
Counsel for Bank of Ireland, Tom Mallon, noted that transferability was part of his contract of employment and that the man had died before measures aimed at addressing the issue had been completed.
The company's grievance procedures have not been changed following his death, the court also heard.
Returning a verdict of death by suicide, Dr Farrell said the proposed transfer was clearly a source of "great stress" to the deceased.