Heroin and sleeping pill taken before death of prisoner

A PRISONER who died in his cell as a result of a toxic combination of heroin and sleeping tablets had been due for release four days later, an inquest has been told.

The family of Michael Courtney (35), Churchfield, Cork, said he had probably taken a "celebratory hit" before his release from the training unit at Mountjoy prison.

Mr Courtney was found dead in his room on February 23rd last year. His urine samples had been free of opiates since he had been moved to the unit some months previously, having completed a detox programme in the main Mountjoy prison.

The training unit is a drug-free unit within the prison typically accommodating offenders coming to the end of their sentence. They may obtain training or in some cases do work outside the prison.

Dublin City Coroner's Court heard that Mr Courtney had been in good health and working at a training centre in Santry. He was coming to the end of an eight-year sentence for drug offences.

Prison officer Brendan Reilly said he had come on duty on February 23rd and had checked on Mr Courtney at about 8.10am. He was lying on his bed, the television was on and Mr Reilly believed he had acknowledged his greeting. He checked again at 11.05am and Mr Courtney was still lying on the bed.

Medical officer Donal Horgan said he had gone to bring Mr Courtney his medication, an anti-depressant, that morning as he had not collected it himself.

"I opened the door and I tried to rouse him and couldn't get a response. I checked and there were no vital signs." He called an ambulance and for the governor.

Mr Courtney could not be resuscitated and gardaí were called. He was pronounced dead at 1.30pm.

Deputy State pathologist Dr Michael Curtis said postmortem toxicology reports on blood and urine samples indicated he had used heroin and a sleeping tablet, Zopiclone, in the hours before his death.

Neither had been present in lethal doses but in combination, their effects could be to suppress breathing to a lethal extent.

The court had earlier heard a urine sample taken the morning before Mr Courtney died had tested positive for just cannabis. The court heard his samples were generally clean.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said when a person has not been using a drug for a period they "are more vulnerable to the effects" and that Mr Courtney had taken heroin and Zopiclone some time before death.

Dr Curtis said the levels found were not considered lethal.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.