File sent to DPP over heroin death of Wexford man
Thursday, 18 July 2002 17:43A file is to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine whether a man should be charged for failing to bring his friend, who had taken heroin, to the nearest available hospital.
The man subsequently died from a heroin overdose.
Wexford Coroner's Court heard this afternoon that Gerard Slevin and two friends, including 34-year-old Alan Wright from Mulgannon in Wexford, travelled to Dublin in June of last year.
Mr Slevin told the court that Alan Wright had insisted on travelling to a house in Crumlin to get some heroin.
Having purchased some of the drug at the house, Mr Slevin said Mr Wright took the heroin in the car, which was parked at that time in the car-park of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.
Mr Slevin told the court that on the road just past Naas, Alan Wright's breathing stopped.
When they arrived back in Wexford, they thought he was dead and brought him to Wexford General Hospital.
However Mr Slevin admitted leaving Mr Wright in the back seat of his BMW while they abandoned the car at the casualty entrance.
Alan Wright's body was later found by two ambulance drivers.
The Coroner directed a file be sent to the DPP to determine whether legal proceedings should be brought against Mr Slevin for failing to bring Mr Wright into Our Lady's Hospital or nearby St James' Hospital when the dead man first collapsed.
