THE inquest into the death of Ms Veronica Guerin, the journalist who was murdered last year, ended dramatically yesterday with a scathing attack by one of her brothers on the Sunday Independent.
Mr James Guerin strongly criticised the newspaper for failing to protect Ms Guerin adequately and accused her employers of putting pressure on her to generate controversial stories on crime.
He said he had expressed his concerns for her safety to the newspaper seven months before she was gunned down.
However, his remarks were later repudiated by Ms Guerin's husband, Mr Graham Turley, other members of her family and Mr Aengus Fanning, the Sunday Independent editor.
A statement from the Guerin family rejected any suggestion that she was "no more than a pawn in the hands of her employers", and said her brother's remarks had exacerbated their grief.
Mr Fanning also challenged Mr Guerin's comments which he said did "a disservice to the memory of Veronica Guerin".
At Dublin County Coroner's Court yesterday. Mr Turley relived the day when gardai told him of her death. He spoke only a few words from the witness box at the formal opening and adjournment of the inquest into her death, before he was quickly driven away by detectives.
Mr Turley confirmed to the Dublin County Coroner, Dr Bartley Sheehan, that he identified his wife's body to both Prof John Harbison, the State Pathologist and Insp Michael Devine on the night of June 26th last year.
Dr Sheehan asked him if he understood the course of the proceedings and he replied that he did. Dr Sheehan then told Mr Turley: "Thank you. That's all I need to ask you."
Prof Harbison told the court that he conducted a post mortem examination on the body of Ms Guerin at James Connolly Memorial Hospital on the evening of her killing.
His examination showed that she had died as a result of shock and haemorrhage and that this was caused by a laceration of the brain and an artery due to shotgun wounds to her body and right arm.
Insp Devine, of Lucan Garda station, said criminal proceedings had been instituted in relation to her death, which was the subject on an ongoing inquiry.
He sought an adjournment into the inquest under Section 35 of the Coroners Act, 1962. Dr Sheehan agreed to adjourn the case until November 12th.
He asked Insp Devine if it would be some time before criminal proceedings were completed, and he replied: "I imagine."