Files to go to DPP over Kinsale drug deaths

GARDAÍ ARE to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions after last night releasing without charge two people suspected of supplying drugs to two young men who died in Kinsale, Co Cork, at the weekend.

Postmortems indicated that Michael Coleman (22), from Ballinclamper, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and Liam Coffey (22), from Affane, Cappoquin, Co Waterford, died from drug overdoses.

Although gardaí will have to wait a number of weeks for the results of toxicological tests on samples taken by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster, it is understood gardaí are satisfied both men died from taking MDMA or ecstasy.

Gardaí were tight-lipped yesterday about their investigation, but it is understood that Garda technical officers found what was described as a very small amount of drugs in the rented house where both men died at Abbey Lane in Kinsale.

Yesterday it emerged that gardaí received information on Sunday that the two dead men had acquired some drugs on Saturday night, and, based on that intelligence, gardaí travelled from west Cork and arrested two men at a house on Cork city’s north side.

The two men, who are in their 20s, were arrested under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act on suspicion of supplying drugs, and were brought to Bandon Garda station for questioning by detectives.

Also yesterday, at about 2.30pm, gardaí arrested a 21-year-old woman at a separate location in Cork city, again under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. She was also brought to Bandon Garda station for questioning about supplying drugs.

The two men – one originally from Limerick and one from Waterford – were both released without charge at about 5pm yesterday, and a file will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí were last night continuing to question the woman.

A Garda source said yesterday that gardaí would be seeking to trace anyone who may have got drugs from the suppliers whom they believe provided the drugs to the two young men who died.

“We obviously would warn people not to take any illegal drugs as there’s always an issue about quality control, but in this case we would urge people to be particularly careful about what they’re taking, and we would strongly urge people to simply abstain.”

The investigation followed the discovery of the two men’s bodies at about 6.10am when Mr Coleman’s partner came downstairs in the dormer end-of-terrace cottage which she and Mr Coleman had been renting for the past few months.

The woman raised the alarm, and both Mr Coleman and Mr Coffey – who was visiting him for the weekend – were pronounced dead by a local GP.

Both bodies were removed to Cork University Hospital for postmortems.

Mr Coleman is survived by his parents Kevin and Ann, brother Shane, and his partner Ciara.

Mr Coffey is survived by his parents Richard and Fionnuala, and two older sisters, Bree and Tina, who are twins.