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THE DEATH OF Mountjoy Prison inmate Gary Douch, who was kicked and strangled to death by fellow inmate Stephen Egan in August 2006, was “avoidable and should not have happened”.
The Report of the Commission of Investigation into Douch’s death was published today and outlined problems in the management of Egan.
The report outlines “systemic failures” and how Egan had been recorded as “a disruptive and potentially violent prisoner” but his subsequently handling did not adequately reflect this.
Egan has since been convicted of manslaughter by diminished responsibility. A month before the killing, he had been transferred from the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum to Mountjoy.
The report states that the decision to transfer Stephen Egan to Mountjoy on 29 July was arrived at “without any regard to his on-going need for psychiatric care and treatment”.
Douch was beaten, kicked and strangled to death in an unprovoked attack before being left overnight under a mattress or duvet. Media reports at the time indicated that the other people in the cell were too frightened of the killer to raise the alarm or call for a guard.
In the November prior to the fatal attack, Egan was also transferred from Cork Prison to Cloverhill but the report states that this was not managed properly either.
Futhermore, there was no review of Egan’s behaviour during this transfer and the failure to do so was a missed opportunity to assess if it was linked to the deterioration in his mental health.
Apology
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter TD, and Minister of State, Kathleen Lynch met with the late Gary Douch’s mother and other family members today, issuing an apology on behalf of the state:
The Commission of Investigation’s conclusion is clear – his death was avoidable and should not have happened. It is only right that I apologise on behalf of the State and Irish Prison Service to the family of Gary Douch. I hope this report helps to clarify for them what happened that night, what should have been avoided, and what can be learnt to ensure there is no possibility of this happening again.
The Commission of Investigation was undertaken by Gráinne McMorrow SC and recognised that essential improvements have been put in place since Douch’s death.
But further recommendations include more work to implement ‘alternatives to custody’ options. The report states that alternative sentencing options could deliver measureable benefits all round.
The full report and summaries into the death of Gary Douch can be accessed here
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I cut turf for the first time this year on a unused family bog. Cost me €400 for 8 hoppers and I reckon I now have enough fuel for two years ! Because I have a stove and back boiler I have saved just over €2k by not needing to buy coal and possibly another €2k in home heating oil (based on two years)
And yet the government want to force these costs onto turf cutters? Typical. How can they compensate for that amount of costs?
They won’t,they need to bow down to there paymasters,America,China huge polluters but were only a little spec on the map and we will do what the eu. Say
Agree, no matter what we do in Ireland to cut air pollutants , it wont make 1 difference, when China is going for broke.
Cut your turf as us Irish have done for thousands of years. I love nature and wildlife but native traditions need to be taken into account.
€50 a hopper?! I hope they were big ass hoppers dude
Their, we’re and speck actually.
Thanks.
Listen, the govt will find you out if you’re doing anything to save money and screw you somehow. Of course turf cutting is harmless but how else are they going to tax you?
Must be the the first time I agree with jack arse but if the chinese and the indians are still digging up coal whats wrong with a bit of turf?
The turf cutting ban has nothing to do with fossil fuels / global warming – its about preservation of an endangered habitat.
@Peter
If cutting was being done “as it has for thousands of years” there wouldn’t be a problem, but wholesale mechanised destruction has only been happening for a couple of generations.
@ Peter Ryan… How is cutting turf with a hopper a native tradition?
Jimmy has forgotten where he has come from. Finuge (Listowel) and the surrounding areas are steeped in the traditions of turf cutting and we all remember days spent in the bog. Jimmy has forgotten those who have put him in the Dail for nearly 30 years. He has forgotten his responsibility to his neighbours and the people of North Kerry and to those who are dependent on saving turf. He disgusts me as he has proven that power corrupts the mind and has institutionalised his beliefs. When given an opportunity to help North Kerry he has run from the fight. Those qualities that made him a teak tough corner back have sadly been lacking in his joke of a political career. Keep rolling over Jimmy. Yours Sincerely, a fellow North Kerry man.
At least he isnt doing a Healy-rae job. ie – feck the country, shure the lads in whest kerry think drink driving is grand.
Why is he still a TD then? confused!
Bord Na Mona has stated it had one of the best years ever,but the devistation that largescale commercial harvesting of peat that they have visited on the landscape has to be seen to be believed,as far the eye can see a complete barren wasteland with nowhere for the water runoff to go,politicians have allowed this never to be replaced resource to be exploited to the point of exaustion and yet the damage is there for all to see,at least our plundered fisheries can with proper management be restored in years to come,but our bogs take many thousands of years to regenerate,like the countrys debt,we just roll over and let the next generation worry about it.
Spelling on here is just brutal e.g. ‘devistating’ and ‘exaustion’ in previous post. Difficult to take a point seriously when it reads like a six year old’s spelling mistakes
Apologies there Michael,written in haste im afraid with a few on board,exhaustion and devastation,now thats better.
I know the feeling
Im all on preserving this beautiful country we have and helping to not pollute but everytime this issue comes i cant help thinking “in the grand scheme of things, let them cut their turf and do some REAL work on climate change”…this is a joke and a waste of tax payers money
This isn’t to do with climate change
Now that would be an ecumenical matter!
“Government failed to detect 45% of big cutting activity this year” would have been a better headline.
Or … “Bog cutters, now with 45% more add sneakiness”
Ah, don’t give a sod about the gov’t……where do you find these places to cut turf??
Bogs, you idiot.
Now, now tiger, Stephen no need for name calling….I happen to live in Chicago where we don’t have turf and certainly don’t gave bogs. Have never seen one in Ireland either,….pecker
Can anyone explain whats the difference between a raised bog and an ordinary bog?
Why is one protected and the other is not?
Because either way it’s just turf that’s on it.
Google is your friend…
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