An inquest into the death of a 26-year-old Waterford man at a Garda station in Dungarvan has heard the dead man was found in a cell hanging from his belt.
Patrick Hayes from Dungarvan died on the afternoon of 3 May last year after he had been arrested for breaking a barring order.
A Garda Inspector told the inquest that written instructions outlined that prisoners should not be allowed to have anything which they might use to harm themselves.
The coroner, Dr Eoin Maughan, said that the design of cell doors should be looked at in the public interest.
The inquest was told that Patrick Hayes had just been released from jail two days earlier after serving eight months of a 19 month sentence following an undertaken he gave to stay away from his former partner and mother of two of his children.
Evidence was given that Mr Hayes was arrested shortly after noon on 3 May in Dungarvan for breaking that barring order.
Two Gardai gave evidence that Mr Hayes was calm and fully cooperative when he was brought to Dungarvan Garda Station shortly afterwards. He was searched, placed in a cell and checked regularly but was found dead at 3.40pm before he was due to go back to court.
He had managed to attach one end of his leather belt to a handle on the outside of an open hatch on the cell door. The doors were described as modern.
Gardai told the court they had dealt with the prisoner in accordance with regulations.
Michael Lannigan, solicitor for the dead man's family, asked if the design of hatches such as those on the doors of cells at Dungarvan could be looked at.
The coronor said the inquest was not in sitting to attach blame of any kind and the jury returned a verdict of death due to hanging in accordance with the medical evidence.
