GARDAÍ CAJOLED and insulted a chronic drug user to try get him to remain alert during questioning, but they refused to accept claims he had been beaten by fellow officers or was falling asleep from the effects of a drug overdose.
Dwayne Foster (24) died while in custody in Coolock Garda station in the early hours of March 7th, 2006, just hours after he had been diagnosed with soft tissue injuries by Beaumont Hospital.
A postmortem found that Foster, who had been prescribed methadone twice in custody, died from methadone intoxication.
Giving evidence at an inquest yesterday, Det Garda Denis O’Callaghan acknowledged questions such as “how f--king much fire [physeptone, a methadone mixture] are you on?” and that repeated instructions to “wake up” were directed by gardaí to Foster.
Det Garda O’Callaghan said many of the comments had been made to get Foster to engage with the interview.
Michael Finucane, solicitor for Foster’s family, said no one asked the doctors in Beaumont if Foster was fit to be questioned.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/8a09a42a-bf7b-491e-848d-432f8309b3fa.png)