Criminal proceedings are being contemplated arising from the death of a man in Dublin city centre last year following an interaction with gardaí, an inquest has heard.
Paul Butler (51) from St Ignatius Road, Phibsborough, Dublin, died in the Mater Hospital on August 18th, 2025, from injuries sustained three days earlier in an incident on O’Connell Street in central Dublin.
The opening of an inquest into Butler’s death at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard the postmortem by assistant State Pathologist Margaret Bolster showed he died from complications resulting from a traumatic head injury.
The deceased had sustained his injuries near the Holiday Inn on O’Connell Street at about 4.15am on August 15th, 2025.
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It is understood that Butler was approached by gardaí on the street on the suspicion he might have been intoxicated. He is suspected to have hit his head on the ground during the interaction with gardaí.
A garda was arrested for questioning immediately after Butler’s death but was later released without charge.
It is understood the officer, who has strongly denied any wrongdoing, was suspended from duty pending the outcome of the inquiry.
The case was referred by gardaí to Fiosrú, previously the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, which is obliged to investigate any act or omission of a Garda member that may have led to a person’s death or serious harm under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.
Fiosrú investigator Nicholas Harden told the inquest that its file on the case was complete and was “resting with” the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
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Harden applied for an adjournment of the inquest while a direction is awaited from the DPP.
“Criminal proceedings are being contemplated,” he said.
The deceased’s partner, Áine McGrath, gave evidence of being informed by gardaí who called to her home on August 15th, 2025, that Butler had been injured and was in the Mater hospital.
McGrath said she went to the hospital later the same day, where she identified the injured male as her partner.
Coroner Clare Keane granted the application by Fiosrú and adjourned the case for further mention to March 16th next.
