An inquest in Sligo has heard that a 23-year old man who died after having been attacked in the town almost 12 years ago died from catastrophic injuries to the head.
The inquest into the death of Tom Ward was opened in Sligo courthouse this morning to formally ascertain the cause of death so as to enable a death certificate be issued.
The inquest was then adjourned because of the ongoing criminal investigation into his death.
The inquest, before Coroner Eamon McGowan, heard Dr Michael Curtis, of the State Pathology Service, carried out a post mortem on the body of Tom Ward on August 13th 2007.
The inquest was told the late Mr Ward was a 23-year old married man with one child, and was expecting a second child at the time he was killed.
He had been an amateur boxer, and was fit and well.
On August 12th 2007, he had made several trips in an out of Cranmore in Sligo, where his parents lived.
In an attack about 1:16am on August 13th in Joe McDonnell Drive in Cranmore, he suffered catastrophic head injuries.
The top of his head was struck with an axe-like object, creating a deep wound.
Reading from Dr Curtis’s report, Mr McGowan said essentially, this was an injury not compatible with life.
He also sustained injuries compatible with him collapsing on the ground.
Mr McGowan said Dr Curtis concluded that death was due to a head injury when struck by a third party.
Garda Detective Inspector Ray Mulderrig gave details of the garda investigation and said a file had been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He said this had resulted in a charge of withholding information that was challenged in the High Court and is now before the Supreme Court.
Detective Inspector Mulderrig says this continues to be a live investigation and he asked for an adjournment of the inquest pending that investigation, which the Coroner granted.
Last February, Tom Ward’s 30 year old brother Pat was murdered in Clogher Co Tyrone.
A man and a woman have been charged with that murder.
