Man drank caustic liquid before death

A 52-year-old Carrickamcross man had already taken a fatal amount of an undentified caustic substance before attacking himself with a knife an inquest has heard.

Bernard Byrne (53) from Corrán Fionn Barra and formerly St. Macartan’s Villas, Carrickmacross was suffering from a severe mental illness at the time of his death.

The inquest heard that Mr Byrne was attending outpatient clinic at St Davenets when he reported feeling nauseous and dizzy.

The attending psychologist Attracta McGlinchey went to get help but when she returned Mr Byrne was self harming with a knife.

Gardaí managed to restrain him and he was taken to hospital in Cavan and treated for his wounds, but it transpired that he had perforation in his stomach due an identified caustic substance.

Pathologist Dr Susan Prenderville said that it was the damage caused by the caustic liquid to his stomach which had caused his death and not the knife wounds.

Mr Byrne was suffering with psychosis and believed that his life was at risk.

The inquest returned a open verdict as it could not be established that Mr Byrne meant to take his own life when he ingested the caustic substance.

The incident was also investigated by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission.

Mr Byrne is survived by his wife Dympha, sons Paul and Colin, mother Mary and brothers and sisters Olive (Moran), Patricia (Norton), Joyce (McEneaney), Patrick and Tommy.