A Garda investigation has begun into the death in custody of a man held in relation to the weekend murder of Donna Cleary in north Dublin.
Dwayne Foster (24) from Woodbank Avenue, Finglas, man was visited three times by a doctor yesterday at Coolock Garda Station. He was then brought to hospital from his cell last night complaining of headaches.
He was discharged after about an hour but was readmitted to hospital at around 3am where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Speaking on RTÉ radio this afternoon, Supt Kevin Donohoe of the Garda Press Office said that Foster had a personal medical condition however, he added that if somebody is released from hospital they are considered safe enough to return to garda custody.
Supt Donohoe confirmed that all interviews with the man had been recorded and he denied that there was any suggestion of garda maltreatment on the part of Foster or his legal team.
"The suspect had no physical medical injuries," he said. "He requested a doctor for a personal medical condition and he was seen by two separate doctors on a total of three occasions in Coolock Garda Station. At 9pm he was taken by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital, where he was assessed by medical staff and released again.
"He returned to his cell at 10pm where he spoke to his solicitor. Questioning by case detectives resumed.
"At approximately 3am he was removed by ambulance to Beaumont Hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. At no stage was there a complaint made by him or his solicitor to gardai about his treatment in custody.
A Garda investigation into the death of Foster began today. "The Garda Commissioner has appointed a chief superintendent and a superintendent from outside the Dublin Metropolitan Region to examine all the circumstances surrounding the death," a Garda spokeswoman said.
Chief Supt Pat Magee from Sligo, assisted by Supt John McMahon from Tuam, will be in charge of the investigation. A file will be forwarded to the DPP when the inquiry concludes.
A statement released by Beaumont Hospital said that it was "in the process of reviewing the Foster case and would cooperate fully with the Coroner's investigation into his death. The statement added that the hospital would also assist the Garda investigation into the circumstances of the death if requested.
Foster was among five people arrested following the murder of Ms Cleary (22), the mother killed in north Dublin early last Sunday morning. He was well-known to the gardaí and is reported to have been the chief suspect in the case.
Three other men and a woman were arrested in Co Kildare late on Sunday night and held at three north Dublin Garda stations.
Ms Cleary died when a group of men fired a number of automatic pistol shots into a house in Coolock near where the victim lived at around 2.30am on Sunday, about half an hour after the men had been refused entry to the house where a 40th birthday party was taking place.
Gardaí say the shooting was not gang-related and was an indiscriminate murder.
Prayers were said for Ms Cleary and her family including her three-year-old son, Clayton, in local churches.
Two of those detained are in their 20s and from the Finglas area; a husband and wife are among those being questioned. They are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, which allows them to be held for up to three days.
The deadline for holding the remaining suspects expires tonight when gardaí will have to either charge them, release them or seek a court order to hold them for a further 24 hours.
A team of 50 detectives from local stations and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation have been assigned to the case.