Patient disruptive, inquest told

A patient at a Dublin psychiatric hospital suffered respiratory failure and died within minutes of being forcibly handcuffed, Dublin City Coroner's Court has heard.

Nicholas Murphy (38), Mulvey Park, Dundrum, died at Vergemount Psychiatric Unit in Clonskeagh, Dublin, on December 7th, 1992. An inquest opened in August 2003 after information about his death became available during a Garda inquiry in 2002.

Dublin city coroner Dr Brian Farrell re-opened the inquest yesterday. Mr Murphy was being treated for schizophrenia and alcoholism as an outpatient at Baggot Street Hospital.

Three days before he died he checked himself into Vergemount where he had previously been a patient. Staff there and gardaí differed yesterday in their evidence on the circumstances surrounding the death.

On the night before his death Mr Murphy was disruptive, staff nurse Oliver Sinnott said. He was sedated but continued to disrupt the ward.

The next morning gardaí were called for assistance and Mr Murphy was handcuffed. Then staff nurse Pádraig O'Reilly noticed he had stopped breathing. His handcuffs were removed, Mr Sinnott said, and resuscitation attempts made, but Mr Murphy was pronounced dead shortly before 10am. Staff nurse Michael Golden supported Mr Sinnott's evidence.

Three Garda witnesses told the court the handcuffs had been removed before Mr Murphy had breathing difficulty. They also said he was given an injection while handcuffed and this appeared to calm him. The inquest will continue at a future date.