The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Dublin man Terence Wheelock (20), who died after he fell into a coma while in Garda custody in 2005. Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent, reports.
His brother, Larry Wheelock, last night welcomed the new inquiry. He said many of the family's questions about his brother's death had not been answered at an inquest which concluded earlier this month.
"At least it's now in the hands of an independent agency and the fact that they want to have a look at it is very encouraging," he said.
He believed that because his brother died after a period in Garda custody, the Garda was not the appropriate body to investigate the death.
"The inquest for us raised more questions than it answered," he said. "It didn't explain all of Terence's injuries and it also didn't let us enter our independent medical evidence.
"Having said that, we're still looking for a public inquiry because as far as we know the findings of the ombudsman's inquiry won't be published."
The Wheelock family has also insisted Terence had no history of self-harm or depression and have questioned why he would take his own life "out of the blue" when he was not in any serious trouble with gardaí.
Members of the ombudsman commission called to the Wheelock family home yesterday to personally inform them that they had decided to begin an investigation. A member of the commission attended the closing session of inquest into Mr Wheelock's death.
His death occurred in September 2005. Mr Wheelock fell into a coma in a cell in Store Street Garda station, Dublin, in June of that year, a state from which he never awoke. He died in Dublin's Mater hospital.
He was arrested at his home in Summerhill, Dublin, in relation to a Garda investigation into a stolen car.
His inquest was told that Mr Wheelock hanged himself in his cell using a ligature fashioned from a cord in his tracksuit bottoms.
The jury at the inquest returned a majority verdict of death by suicide.
According to its terms of reference published yesterday, the ombudsman commission's inquiry will investigate if there was any possible failure on the part of any Garda member "in allowing for the presence of the cord/ligature in the cell".
It will also investigate if "any act or omission" by any Garda member during the man's arrest or detention contributed to his death.
Senior investigating officer Brian Doherty has been appointed to lead the investigation.
The inquiry into the death of the father of one is the first "public interest" inquiry to be opened by the commission since it began operating in May.
The commission can opt to open such inquiries, even if a complaint has not been received about a case, once it believes such an inquiry is in the public interest.
The commission was established to investigate all complaints against the Garda, replacing the Garda Complaints Board. Unlike the defunct board, it has its own investigators and does not rely on Garda members to conduct inquiries on its behalf.
The commission also investigates any loss of life in the course of Garda operations and detentions. Its wide remit also allows it to investigate any matter involving the Garda it believes warrants investigation.