Paedophile Eamon Cooke died of lung cancer, inquest hears

Convicted paedophile Eamon Cooke died of lung cancer, an inquest has heard.

Cooke was an inmate at Arbour Hill Prison in Dublin 7 when his health deteriorated and he was transferred to a hospice for palliative care.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard evidence of medical records at an inquest into his death. An inquest is a legal obligation for any prisoner’s death.

Cooke was seen at the Mater Hospital in May 2016 and was transferred for palliative care to St Francis Hospice in Raheny.

Gardaí spoke to Cooke at the hospice before his death in relation to Phillip Cairns, the 13-year-old who disappeared 30 years ago while walking to school in Dublin.

Cooke died at the hospice on June 5th, 2016.

The former radio DJ was a serial paedophile.

The cause of his death was cancer of the lung which had spread, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane said.

The jury at his inquest returned the verdict of death due to natural causes.