The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has recommended that no prosecution be taken over the death of a father of two who was shot dead at a remote cottage near Millstreet, Co Cork, more than a year ago.
Gardaí from Millstreet found the body of Englishman Charlie Wrench lying in an upstairs bedroom of his dormer cottage at Dromsicane, Millstreet, on August 14th, 2006, after they received a phone call notifying them that there had been a shooting.
Mr Wrench (42) had suffered a single gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The area was immediately cordoned off for a forensic examination by Garda technical experts.
A legally held single-barrel shotgun belonging to Mr Wrench and a cartridge shell found in the breach were removed for forensic examination by technical and ballistics experts.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a preliminary examination at the scene.
Mr Wrench's body was later removed to Cork University Hospital for a postmortem examination, which showed he died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Gardaí arrested a 38-year-old woman under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act late that night and brought her to Kanturk Garda station.
She was questioned for two days about Mr Wrench's death before being released without charge.
It is understood the woman told gardaí that a row broke out between herself and Mr Wrench in an upstairs bedroom of the house.
During an angry exchange, he had got his shotgun, which he kept nearby, loaded it and invited her to shoot him with it.
According to the woman's version of events, Mr Wrench offered her the gun with the barrel pointing towards himself, but as she tried to get him to put down the weapon, it accidentally discharged, fatally wounding him in the head.
It is understood that gardaí felt from the outset that much would depend on a technical examination of fingerprints on the gun and on a brass cartridge.
However, following the examination, no conclusive forensic evidence could be found to contradict the woman's explanation.
A native of the English midlands, Mr Wrench came to Millstreet in the late 1980s where he worked for a period with a local trucking firm.
He later became involved in renovating houses while he was also a regular participant in local traditional music sessions, playing the bodhrán.
He had two children, now aged nine and six, from a previous relationship.
At the time of his death, he was living with a woman originally from Northern Ireland who had two daughters, who are now aged 20 and 12, from a previous relationship.
It is believed that the three younger children were playing outside the house on the evening that Mr Wrench was shot.
The incident occurred just hours after he and his partner had returned from spending a few days' holidays in the North.
Mr Wrench's family had been informed by gardaí of the decision by the DPP earlier this month not to recommend a prosecution in connection with his death due to insufficient evidence.
