A young boy suspected of being killed by his father in Dublin earlier this year in a murder-suicide case died as a result of asphyxiation, an inquest has heard.
The body of 12-year-old Oisín Reddin was found in the bedroom of a house at Lindisfarne Grove, Clondalkin on 8 January where he lived with his father and extended family.
Concern about his welfare was raised following the discovery of the body of his father, 48-year-old Wayne O'Reilly a short time earlier at a property in Cherry Orchard Drive, Ballyfermot.
The boy’s mother, Pamela Reddin, gave evidence at the opening of an inquest into her son’s death at Dublin District Coroner’s Court of formally identifying his body to gardaí at Dublin City Mortuary in Whitehall.
Garda Lisa Sexton told the brief hearing today that she had brought Ms Reddin and her mother, Anne Reddin, to the mortuary for the formal identification process on the day after the discovery of his body.
The coroner, Clare Keane, said the results of a postmortem showed the cause of the boy’s death was "external obstruction of the airway."
Inspector Paul Mayock applied for an adjournment of the inquest under the Coroners Act on the basis that the circumstances of Oisín’s death are still under investigation.
He also sought a copy of the postmortem report from the coroner.
Dr Keane granted the applications and adjourned the inquest to September 29 for a further update on the Garda investigation.
The coroner also offered her condolences to Ms Reddin and the victim’s grandmother who attended the hearing.
"I am so sorry for your loss," said Dr Keane.
Concern for Oisín’s welfare arose after his father’s body was found in the back garden of the home of his ex-partner in Ballyfermot with suspected self-inflicted injuries on 8 January.
Custody battle
It is understood that Mr O’Reilly, who suffered mental health issues, was facing a custody battle for Oisín in the courts later that month.
It subsequently emerged that Oisín - who was a 5th class pupil at Talbot Senior National School in Clondalkin - and his family were known to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, although the boy was not in the care of the State.
Concerns about the welfare of the boy had also been raised last October when he and his father were reported missing.
However, the pair, who were the subject of a missing persons alert issued by An Garda Síochána at the time, were located two days later at a hotel in Limerick by gardaí.
It is also believed that Mr O’Reilly, who had been arrested a number of times under the Mental Health Act, had previously threatened via text messages to harm both himself and his son, although no formal complaints or charges arose from such incidents.
Following the discovery of their whereabouts after being reported missing last October, Tusla oversaw the implementation of a safety plan which allowed Oisín to live in a house with his father and other relatives who were responsible for his supervision.
An independent review of the circumstances of Oisín’s death and arrangements for his welfare is being carried out by the National Review Panel, which examines deaths and serious incidents involving children known to Tusla.
