The mother of George Nkencho, who was fatally wounded by armed gardaí outside his west Dublin home five years ago, has told an inquest that there was “nothing out of the ordinary” in her son’s behaviour during the weeks leading up to his death.
Blessing Nkencho told Dublin District Coroner’s Court that her son was not experiencing mental health problems at the time of the fatal incident and said he had been passionate about football, having worked as a coach in both Ireland and Scotland, reports The Mirror.
However, she said he had been psychologically affected by a car crash in 2014 when he was travelling in a friend’s vehicle, which she believed led him to become more withdrawn and isolated. Ms Nkencho told the court the family was “waiting for something to happen” after their GP had written to a hospital regarding her son.
“All George needed was help,” she observed. Sitting beside a large image of her son displayed on a video screen, Ms Nkencho recalled that he often told her he planned to be married by the age of 29 and hoped to have five children – three boys and two girls – along with grandchildren. “I always thought he would be fine. I never thought a day like this would happen,” she added, reports The Mirror.
Speaking about the effect of her son’s death, Ms Nkencho said: “Since George left, my life has never been the same. I have depression and I can’t sleep.” She said she once believed memories of her son would fade over time before adding: “It keeps coming because he never had a natural death”, reports The Mirror.
During cross-examination by counsel representing An Garda Síochána, Ms Nkencho rejected claims that her son had mental health difficulties when he died. “He was fine. There were no issues with him,” she said. She also denied that he was violent or that she had ever feared for her family’s safety due to his behaviour.
She accepted that her son had been referred to Blanchardstown mental health services but said he was not present when officials arrived at the family home to assess him. The inquest also heard that shortly before his death, the deceased had punched a shop manager without warning and later produced a knife, reports The Mirror.
Several eyewitnesses told the inquest that Mr Nkencho carried out an unprovoked attack on staff at the Eurospar store in Hartstown on December 30, 2020. The hearing, expected to last three weeks, will focus on events that unfolded over a 76-minute period before the fatal shooting.
Mr Nkencho, aged 27, sustained fatal gunshot injuries after a stand-off developed between him and members of the Garda Armed Support Unit outside his family home at Manorfields Drive in Clonee, Co Dublin. The confrontation followed shortly after his involvement in the Eurospar incident, which took place 1.2km from his home, reports The Mirror.
The eldest of five children, whose family originally came from Nigeria, Mr Nkencho was pronounced dead a short time later at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. Family members attending the inquest include his sisters Gloria and Grateful, brothers Emmanuel and Victor, as well as Dublin West Socialist Party TD Ruth Coppinger.
At the opening of the proceedings, Dublin City senior coroner Myra Cullinane said the inquest would be “very difficult” for Mr Nkencho’s family. “We will be mindful of that at all points,” she said, noting the jury would hear “very distressing facts,” reports The Mirror.
Dr Cullinane explained to the jury of five women and five men that they must consider how the circumstances surrounding Mr Nkencho’s death contributed to its medical cause. However, she stressed they could not assign blame, clear any party of responsibility, or reach conclusions related to criminal or civil liability.
She also told jurors they could make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths or improving public safety. Counsel for An Garda Síochána, Ronan Kennedy SC, expressed his condolences to Ms Nkencho and her family on their “very sad loss,” reports The Mirror.
The court heard that evidence will be given by around 50 witnesses, including two members of the Garda Armed Support Unit who have been granted anonymity by the coroner. She also ruled that they would testify from behind a screen, visible only to herself, the jury and legal teams.
Last year, the Director of Public Prosecutions decided that no garda should be prosecuted over the circumstances of Mr Nkencho’s death, based on a file prepared by Fiosrú — formerly the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission — following a lengthy investigation into the incident, reports The Mirror.
An appeal by the family against the DPP’s decision was unsuccessful. The inquest is continuing this afternoon at Dublin City Coroner’s Court on Store Street, reports The Mirror.
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