Pensioner struck by Garda car had ‘head and chest trauma’, court hears

GARETH NAUGHTON

A pensioner who died after she was struck by a Garda car suffered “head and chest trauma” in the incident, Dublin Coroner’s Court has heard.

Elizabeth Core (75), a mother-of-four from Corkagh View in Clondalkin, Dublin 22, died at Tallaght hospital on August 28th last year. She was struck by the marked Garda car as she was crossing the road at the junction of Fonthill Road and St John's Road in Clondalkin.

The incident is currently being investigated by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC).

At Dublin Coroner’s Court at the opening of the inquest into her death, her son Thomas Core gave evidence that he identified the body of his mother to gardaí at Tallaght hospital on the day of her death. Mr Core was accompanied in court by his father and two of his sisters.

The post-mortem was carried out by State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy at Tallaght hospital on the day after Mrs Core died. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell told the family that she has given the cause of death as "head and chest trauma due to a vehicular impact".

GSOC investigator James Butler told the court that the Garda vehicle was responding to a panic alarm when the incident happened.

GSOC commissioner Carmel Foley requested a six month adjournment of the inquest to allow time to complete their investigation. She said that GSOC received the forensic collision investigators report only at the weekend and that there is still some work to be done before a file could be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Dr Farrell adjourned the inquest for further mention on August 11th.