Smoke inhalation the cause of tragic death
Tuesday March 09 2010
AN INQUEST took place in Carlow Coroner's Court last week in which it was found that Anthony Dermody, a 61year-old local man, died as a result of smoke inhalation.
His landlord and friend, Manfred Torsch, told Dr. Brendan Doyle that Mr. Dermody called into to have a chat with him on November 11 last year before returning to his own flat nearby.
The following morning Mr. Torsch went to check on Mr. Dermody, who lived at Avondale Cottage, Blackbog Road, Carlow, but he discovered Mr. Demody lying on the floor. He said that the place was blackened with smoke and that he then called the Gardaí.
Garda Sinéad Byrne, who attended the scene, said that she noted that there was extensive smoke damage to the building and that an electric heater had been found close to Mr. Dermody's bed.
The pathologist who carried out the post mortem on Mr. Dermody, Dr. Maurice Murphy, said that there'd been evidence of 'smoke contamination' on his skin and mouth but that there were no actual burnings identified.
He concluded that Mr. Dermody passed away due to the smoke inhalation. He and Superintendent Patrick Kavanagh conveyed their sincerest sympathies to the Dermody family.
