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Buncrana tragedy inquest to deliver verdict today

A verdict is due today as the inquest into the Buncrana Pier tragedy comes to a close. Five membe...
Newstalk
Newstalk

07.53 23 Nov 2017


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Buncrana tragedy inquest to de...

Buncrana tragedy inquest to deliver verdict today

Newstalk
Newstalk

07.53 23 Nov 2017


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A verdict is due today as the inquest into the Buncrana Pier tragedy comes to a close.

Five members of one family were killed in the incident.

The victims were 49-year-old Sean McGrotty - who was driving the car; his sons 12-year-old Mark and 8-year-old Evan; their Grandmother Ruth Daniels and her 14-year-old daughter Jodie Lee.

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Mr McGrotty's baby daughter Rioghnach-Ann was the sole survivor, after being passed out of the window of the sinking car to a man who had dived in to help them.

Yesterday the inquest heard Mr McGrotty was more than three times over the legal limit - though the pathologist involved couldn't say how it would have impaired his driving.

Concerns were raised over the level of algae on the slipway at the time, with one witness describing it as slippy as ice.

This morning, the inquest will continue hearing from Irish Water Safety about their recommendations for preventing an event like this from occurring again.

The jury will come to a verdict later today and can make recommendations.

However, inquests are not intended to apportion blame to anyone over what happened – and any recommendation today will not be legally binding.


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