AN INQUEST into the death of Irish Olympic bronze medal winning boxer Darren Sutherland was opened and adjourned in London yesterday. The hearing took place at Croydon Coroner’s Court in south London, where coroner Dr Roy Palmer adjourned the matter until results of a postmortem examination were made available and other inquiries into his death were completed.
A final ruling on the cause of his death, which police are not treating as suspicious, may not be announced for some time. Friends and family did not attend the hearing, which will resume on a date yet to be confirmed.
The super-middleweight boxer (27) was found dead in his Bromley flat by his manager Frank Maloney on Monday. He had lived with Maloney for four months after moving from Navan, Co Meath last year, before renting his own flat in February.
Mr Maloney was subsequently taken to the Princess Royal Hospital in Bromley to be treated for shock. He then became unwell and had to have a stent inserted in his heart at King’s Hospital. He was expected to be released yesterday.
Members of Mr Sutherland’s family were in London yesterday attempting to secure the release of his remains so they can be returned to Ireland for burial. It is understood his funeral could take place in Navan on Monday.
Nicknamed “The Dazzler”, he won a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics as a middleweight before turning professional.
He won national titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and also two European gold medals. The fighter made his professional debut in Dublin City University last December stopping Bulgarian Georgi Iliev in the first round.
