The inquest on the death of the Abbeylara man, John Carthy, was adjourned shortly after it opened in Longford Town this morning. This morning, an application was made on behalf of Mr Carthy's family to have proceedings adjourned until 9 October to allow them time to examine statements and depositions. The Longford County Coroner, Gerard MacDonagh, presiding, granted the application. Gardaí and members of the emergency response were due to give evidence at the Inquiry.
It is almost five months since John Carthy walked out of his home in Abbeylara with a shotgun in his arms and was shot four times by Gardaí. The 27-year-old had fired more than twenty shots over the course of a 24-hour siege. None of the cartridges hit anybody, but the Gardaí’s response struck him twice in the legs and twice in the back. The final fatal bullet punctured his heart.
The parameters for using an inquest to find out the full story are narrow. Blame and exoneration are not relevant, but the jury has the right to add a rider to a verdict recommending how such situations might be handled in future.
