A postmortem report has found that multiple gunshot wounds were among several causal factors in the death of Co Wicklow man last December, who died five days after he was the target of a gun attack.
Clinton McCormack (44), from Bray, Co Wicklow, died at St Vincent’s hospital on December 19th, 2023, five days after he was targeted in the attack at a building site in Delgany. It is believed the attack was linked to a local criminal dispute.
At a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Thursday, coroner Dr Cróna Gallagher said that Mr McCormack had suffered an hypoxic ischemic brain injury – and lack of oxygen to the brain – and swelling in the brain, causing his death. An in-hospital cardiac arrest due to multiple gunshot wounds, and a brain tumour, were also listed by a postmortem in his cause of death, Dr Gallagher said.
Dr Gallagher noted that the cause of death was “extremely complex” and said that there were “certain matters to be adjudicated on” in relation to it.
Detective Inspector Seamus Ryan said that criminal proceedings were being contemplated in the case, and agreed that a file will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in due course. He asked the coroner for a six-month adjournment of the case, which was granted.
At the hearing, Samantha McCormack, the deceased’s widow, gave evidence of identifying her husband to gardaí following his death around 8.30pm at St Vincent’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Other members of the deceased’s family were also present in court.
Garda Ciara Hayes, attached to Bray Garda station, said in a statement that she took up duty at the hospital the day of Mr McCormack’s death. She was informed by a nurse that Mr McCormack was pronounced brain-dead before 3pm, the court heard.
State Pathologist Sally Anne Collis carried out the postmortem of Mr McCormack’s body, the court heard. She determined the cause of death as a hypoxic ischemic brain injury and acute hydrocephalus, an in-hospital cardiac arrest, and multiple gunshot wounds, in a man with a posterior fossa meningioma.
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