A full inquest into the fatal shooting of George Nkencho by gardaí outside his west Dublin residence five years ago is set to begin in January, although the precise scope of the inquiry has yet to be finalised, reports RTE.
Dublin’s chief coroner, Myra Cullinane, has scheduled the inquest to commence on 13 January 2026, with proceedings expected to run for approximately two weeks.
Mr Nkencho, aged 27, died from gunshot injuries following an encounter with members of the Garda Armed Support Unit outside his family’s home on Manorfields Drive in Clonee, Co Dublin, on 30 December 2020, reports RTE.
At the inquest’s formal opening in June 2020, Mr Nkencho’s family had urged Dr Cullinane to carry out a comprehensive investigation into policing practices, questioning whether racial profiling or discrimination by gardaí may have played a role in his death.
During a brief session at Dublin District Coroner’s Court, the coroner confirmed she had recently received a submission from An Garda Síochána concerning the proposed scope of the inquest, reports RTE.
Dr Cullinane told Seoirse Fennessy BL, legal counsel for Mr Nkencho’s family, that she would grant them until 17 October to make their own submission on the matter.
She also announced a follow-up hearing would be held on 23 October, providing all parties—among them Fiosrú, formerly the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission—an opportunity to weigh in on how wide-ranging the inquiry should be.
The court was informed that Mr Nkencho’s legal team had received 240 statements, with Dr Cullinane noting that document disclosure was “almost complete”, reports RTE.
She said that the family of the deceased had been given the majority of materials, but that nine documents were still “outstanding” and would be released to them soon.
Additionally, Dr Cullinane proposed giving the family access to 13 further documents, which include certain directives, policies, as well as CCTV footage from a nearby Eurospar and post office in Hartstown, reports RTE.
The coroner added she would wait until the scope of the inquest is settled before finalising the list of witnesses who will be called to testify.
She had previously suggested during a July hearing that between 50 and 60 witnesses might give evidence at the inquest.
Back in May, Dr Cullinane ruled that two Garda Armed Support Unit members involved in Mr Nkencho’s shooting would be granted anonymity due to concerns over their personal safety and in the interest of “national security”, reports RTE.
It was confirmed earlier this year that the Nkencho family’s appeal against the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision not to prosecute any garda in connection with the case had been unsuccessful.
Mr Nkencho was shot dead during a standoff with gardaí after he reportedly assaulted a shop worker in a nearby Eurospar and was later seen carrying a kitchen knife.
The confrontation escalated outside his home and resulted in his fatal shooting. He was declared dead shortly afterward at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown, reports RTE.
A post-mortem examination concluded that Mr Nkencho died from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.
His family has maintained that he had been dealing with mental health challenges in the months leading up to his death and have argued that the garda response was excessive and disproportionate, reports RTE.
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