Prison cell CCTV plea by jury at death in custody inquest
CCTV cameras are to be fitted in Store Street Garda Station but there are no plans to install them in cells as it may infringe upon prisoners' privacy, a sergeant told the court.
The family of Thomas Campion (23) had accused gardai at Dublin's Store Street of not checking on their son at the 15-minute intervals required by law. He died later in the Mater Hospital of a methadone overdose on January 22. However the inquest heard from gardai that they had carried out regular checks and followed legal regulations concerning checks on intoxicated prisoners.
Mr Campion of Croftwood Crescent, Ballyfermot, had been released on bail from Clover Hill Prison just five days before he was found intoxicated in Dublin city centre and arrested under the Public Order Act on January 21.
Garda Brigid Goode told Dublin City Coroner's Court when she saw him "staggering heavily" along Earl Street she suspected he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs or both and decided to arrest him for his own safety.
The court heard that Mr Campion was then placed in a cell where he was checked seven times between 4.30pm and 7pm when he was found collapsed.
However Mr Campion's aunt, Tina Geraghty, questioned why her nephew was not checked during a half-hour period when the regulation states that intoxicated prisoners must be checked every 15 minutes.
Station jailer Gda Gareth Kane said one check was missed as the station was very busy at the time.
And Sgt Gerard Wall added: "We at all times do our very best to stick to regulations but it can happen there is a delay. A few minutes can sometimes elapse between checks."
A post-mortem found Mr Campion had almost twice the fatal level of methadone in his blood.
Verdict: Death by misadventure.
- Breda Heffernan
