An inquest into the death of a Wexford woman who died following a two-car collision has heard that an ambulance man took photographs at the scene of the fatal car crash which he sold to the Irish Independent.
Mona Martin (59), Ballingale, Ferns, was a backseat passenger in a car driven by her niece Christina Farrell. Her sister, Ann Farrell, was a front-seat passenger. The women were en route to Baltinglass and planned to travel to Newbridge, Co Kildare for a pre-Christmas shopping trip on the morning of Saturday, November 25th last year. Their car was in collision with another vehicle on the N81 at Ardristan, near Tullow, Co Carlow, shortly after 9am.
The driver and sole occupant of the second car, James Coady (21), Tullow, died at the scene. Mrs Martin was critically injured and taken to St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny where she died.
Christina and her mother Ann were both injured but survived the crash and are still in recovery.
Mrs Martin is survived by her husband Patrick and four adult children.
The inquest into Mrs Martin's death at Kilkenny Coroner's Court yesterday was told Martin Byrne, Kellistown, Co Carlow, an "off-duty ambulance paramedic" had taken pictures of the crash scene which he had sold to the Irish Independent.
Mr Byrne said he had been travelling to a football match in Ballon that morning and had come upon the scene of the accident.
He "got out to look around" and "went to offer assistance". He was not in uniform but put on an "unofficial jacket" which he had "bought in the UK".
Questioned by the Martin family's solicitor, John Murphy, he claimed to have permission from the Health Service Executive to take pictures of crashed cars "for training purposes".
He said he sometimes supplied pictures to "regional newspapers" for which he received "€15 or € 20" but expected to receive €75 from the Irish Independent. He has "not received payment yet" but said he "will give this money to charity" and apologised to the Martin family.
Christina Farrell, a nurse, the driver of the car in which Mrs Martin was fatally injured, told coroner Rory Hogan that as she lay injured in the car she saw "someone" taking pictures with a digital camera".
However, when asked, she could not recognise that person in court. Mr Byrne "categorically" denied that he had taken pictures of the dead or injured persons.
Mr Byrne said his purpose in sending the pictures to the newspaper was "because of the whole road safety issue coming up to Christmas".
Gardaí told the inquest that they had not given permission to Mr Byrne and "had nothing to do with the taking of photographs".
Mr Martin said he was upset that someone "had the gall to take photos at the scene" and that such behaviour was a "slur" on the emergency services.
The coroner, who recorded that Mrs Martin had died of "multiple traumatic injuries" caused by the crash, said the circumstances in which the photographs were taken was "highly inappropriate, insensitive and reprehensible" and that payments by newspapers caused him "concern". However, this was not a matter for the inquest.
Mona Martin was a native of Ardattin, Co. Carlow and had trained as a nurse in St Vincent's Hospital, Dublin.
She and her husband established the Old Charm Furniture business in Rathvilly in the 1970s.