State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy is to give evidence today at an inquest into the death of a man in Garda custody whose family allege he was assaulted while in a cell.
Terence Wheelock (20), Summerhill, Dublin, was found unconscious in a cell at Store Street Garda station last June after he apparently attempted to hang himself with a cord from his tracksuit bottoms. He was taken to the Mater hospital by ambulance, but never regained consciousness.
He died on September 16th, 2005. His family alleges that the circumstances of his death differed from the Garda version of events and that he was mistreated while in a cell.
The inquest has heard that Mr Wheelock was caught "red-handed" fleeing from a stolen car and was in custody fewer than two-and-a-half hours when he was discovered unconscious in his cell with a ligature around his neck.
A man arrested with Mr Wheelock who was also taken to Store Street station is to be taken from Mountjoy prison today to give evidence at the inquest.
Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday that a damaged alarm panel made it possible for one end of a ligature to be placed around the panel while the other end was placed around Mr Wheelock's neck.
There was a slight gap between the concrete wall and the panel, making it possible to secure the ligature.
"Terence Wheelock was against the wall. He was half lying, half sitting. His eyes were closed and his face was yellow. There was a ligature around his neck and was attached to the alarm buzzer," Garda Mary Murphy, who discovered Mr Wheelock, told the court.
Garda Murphy said she "stumbled" from the cell and went for help. She discovered Mr Wheelock at 2.40pm and said he had been sleeping with his eyes closed on the concrete bed 30 minutes earlier.
The court heard yesterday that the alarm buzzer in Mr Wheelock's cell may not have been working. Electrician Wayne Rooney inspected the cell alarm system after being contacted the morning after the incident and found the trip switch had been activated, cutting the power to the alarm system.
Sgt Edward Howley told the court that there is now a system in place at Store Street to check if all the alarms are working but there was not at the time of the incident involving Mr Wheelock.
Sgt Sinéad Power told the inquest yesterday that tracksuit bottom cords are not taken from prisoners during a search unless they are considered high risk, as it damages the clothing.
Garda Martin McInerney, who assisted in searching Mr Wheelock before he was locked in a cell, said the prisoner was not agitated in any way. Laurence Wheelock told the inquest on Monday that his son did not suffer from depression and had never attempted to harm himself.