An inquest has heard that a homeless man whose remains were discovered at a Dublin waste recycling plant last year died from severe blunt force trauma caused by being crushed, reports The Mirror.
During a sitting of Dublin District Coroner’s Court, it was revealed that DNA analysis was necessary to identify the deceased due to the extent of his injuries.
Derek Kearney (36), originally from Finglas, was confirmed dead on September 27, 2024, after his body was found by staff at the Panda recycling facility on Ballymount Avenue, Greenhills, Dublin 12, reports The Mirror.
It is believed that Mr Kearney, also known as Derek Byrne, had been collected by a refuse truck from a location in the city centre sometime before his death.
Friends said at the time that he may have opted to sleep in a bin, viewing it as a relatively secure option on a cold night.
Detective Sergeant Ann Byrne told the inquest’s opening on Tuesday that gardaà were called after a body was found at the warehouse around 6.40am, reports The Mirror.
She said blood and fingerprint samples were taken from the remains to assist in establishing identity.
The court heard a blood sample from the Panda facility was compared to a DNA sample provided by his mother, Sandra Byrne, reports The Mirror.
Det Sgt Byrne stated that Forensic Science Ireland determined it was 504,000 times more probable that Mr Kearney was Ms Byrne’s biological son than an unrelated person.
Health and Safety Authority inspector Trevor Ryan-Nesbitt said their investigation into the fatality found no violations of safety regulations, reports The Mirror.
He confirmed the HSA decided that the circumstances did not justify any prosecution.
Detective Inspector Tom Cooney asked Coroner Clare Keane for a copy of the toxicology results from Mr Kearney’s postmortem, reports The Mirror.
He noted the report was needed to finalise the Garda investigation file into the death.
Det Insp Cooney sought an adjournment, saying the file should be complete by September so the full inquest could proceed.
Dr Keane stated that the postmortem confirmed Mr Kearney died from multiple blunt force injuries caused by crushing. She extended condolences to Mr Kearney’s family, who were present at the inquest, reports The Mirror.
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