THE JURY AT the Stardust inquest has been urged to look “very carefully” at the evidence relating to where and when the blaze was first noticed both inside and outside the club to determine whether the fire was seen outside before it was seen in the ballroom of the venue.

Completing her summary of the evidence heard during the nearly year-long inquest hearing today, Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane reminded the panel that the fire was first seen in an area known as the west alcove by patrons inside the club but was also observed from outside the venue by residents living close.

She recapped the evidence of a number of fire experts, including Dr Will Hutchinson, a fire investigator and forensic scientist with more than 20 years experience.

The coroner said Dr Hutchinson had noted that if the timings given by local residents who saw a fire from outside the club were correct then there may have been a fire already developed in the roof space sometime before it was visible within the Stardust itself.

The jury has previously heard that the fire was observed outside the club at times ranging from 1.15am to 1.38am but was first observed inside the ballroom at around 1.40am.

“Members of the jury you need to look very carefully at the evidence from those persons and the observations of the expert in relation to that aspect of the evidence to determine whether the fire was seen outside before it was seen in the west alcove,” she said.

The coroner told the panel that they are not required to make the findings of fact in relation to matters to do with the fire where there is insufficient evidence for them to make such a finding.

“If the expert view was that on the evidence before you it was not possible to answer certain questions with confidence you should be slow to answer those questions yourselves,” she said.

The coroner said Dr Hutchinson was of the opinion that there was “little doubt” from the evidence that the fire was first observed within the Stardust in the west alcove and that “almost every patron and staff member” who saw the fire before it spread to the to the main ballroom observed it in this area.

A number of people living in the vicinity of the Stardust club also saw a fire from outside and the expert had noted that if their timings were correct a fire may have developed in the roof space.

She said Dr Hutchinson had observed that other possible starting location for the fire was the immersion heater within the hot press in the main bar and the seating area in the west alcove.

IN relation to how the fire started, the coroner said Dr Hutchinson had given evidence that there was a “poorly wired connection” at the top of the immersion heater.

She said Dr Hutchinson went on to say that if the fire had started in the west alcove then “human agency” must have been involved, meaning that it started either accidentally or deliberately by the application of burning material.

“It’s important to say that despite extensive garda investigation there was no evidence that any person was seen in that area who might have caused a fire, either accidentally or deliberately and you should not base your decision on speculation,” Dr Cullinane said.