A 45-year-old recluse died of malnutrition in Galway and was dead for about six weeks before his body was found in his house, an inquest heard yesterday.
Galway west coroner, Dr Ciaran MacLoughlin, said the sad and lonely death of Mr John Hession, Droim Chaoin, Bishop O'Donnell Road, brought home to all the need to visit people in our communities who may be reclusive or eccentric.
"We should look in on them to see that all is well without invading their wish for privacy."
The inquest heard the deceased had been a mechanic and was separated from his partner.
His friend, Mr Thomas Deacy, told the inquest he had often called to see the deceased, who tended to drink heavily. In the six months before his death he called on several occasions but had been unable to gain entry. Last March 25th, he arrived to find the front door open. He went in and found the deceased lying on a couch in the sitting room covered with a blanket.
Dr Gabriel Mortimer, pathologist, said Mr Hession had a medical history and suffered from chronic malnutrition and neglect due to a personality disorder. His body was severely emaciated due to food deprivation and he had probably been dead for six weeks. Cause of death was terminal cardiac decomposition due to malnutrition.
The coroner noted that nobody had seen him alive for a long time and it was probable he had been dead since February 11th, 2002. He said this was a very sad case, illustrative of a man who was a recluse and who tended to neglect himself to the extent that he was severely malnourished. He offered his sympathies to family and friends on Mr Hession's "sad and lonely" death.