A CORONER has expressed concern at the “terrible wave of killings” taking place in Dublin at the moment and at the senseless loss of life. Dublin county coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty made the comments at the opening of four separate inquests into violent deaths yesterday.
Detective Inspector Colm Fox of Blanchardstown Garda station applied for 12-month adjournments of three inquests into fatal shootings and one inquest into a fatal stabbing at the Dublin County Coroner’s Court due to ongoing and lengthy Garda inquiries, which the coroner granted.
Trevor Walsh (33) of Valley Park Road, Finglas, Dublin was shot in the garden of a house on Kippure Avenue, Finglas shortly after midnight on July 19th, 2008.
He died of a laceration to the brain and haemorrhage due to bullet wounds to the head and neck, a postmortem by the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Declan Gilsenon found.
His father Derek Walsh told the opening of an inquest into his son’s death yesterday that he last saw Trevor at 7pm on July 18th when he left the house and he told him he wouldn’t be long.
Insp Fox told the court there are a number of ongoing inquiries with regard to the investigation into Mr Walsh’s death.
“This is another awful death in the series of deaths which are occurring,” the coroner said.
Gardaí are also pursuing a number of lines of inquiry regarding the death of Michael Murray (41) of Cardiffsbridge Road, Finglas, who was shot while walking in Kippure Park, Finglas, on March 3rd, the court heard.
A postmortem by the Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, found Mr Murray died from multiple gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
In a statement read out in court, Rose Murray said her husband had been “murdered at Kippure Park”.
Meanwhile, four arrests have been made as part of a lengthy inquiry into the fatal shooting of 35-year-old Graham McNally, and a number of outstanding inquiries have to be completed, Insp Fox said.
Nobody has been charged in the case as of yet, he said.
Graham McNally (35), Cappagh Avenue, Finglas, was shot several times in the head with a semi-automatic weapon off the old Derry road at Coldwinters near Finglas on January 21st.
A postmortem by Dr Curtis found he died of gunshot wounds to the head and face.
“This is another young man who has lost his life in the terrible wave of killings that’s going on,” said the coroner.
A fourth inquest heard that several arrests have been made in relation to the fatal stabbing of 28-year-old Peter Gunn but that a number of outstanding inquiries have as of yet to be carried out.
Mr Gunn of Willow Park Avenue, Glasnevin, Dublin went missing in the early hours of January 4th, and was found murdered 11 days later.
His remains were found in Dunsoghly Lane in The Ward, north Co Dublin.
A postmortem by the State Pathologist, Prof Marie Cassidy, found Mr Gunn died from a stab wound to the chest.
“Peter Gunn was a very young man. This is a very tragic, senseless loss of life,” said Dr Geraghty.
He expressed his condolences to all family members.