Garda says officers treated Stardust site as one of 'catastrophe', but not as a 'crime scene'

THE ENORMITY OF the situation at the Stardust nightclub was brought home to a garda on duty in Coolock Station when he asked a colleague onsite how many ambulances were required and was told “whatever you can get”, an inquest has heard.

“This was something that we had never experienced previously,” said former garda sergeant Thomas Vennard. “We never had a major fire like that.”

The inquest jury at Dublin District Coroner’s Court also heard today that Stardust manager Eamon Butterly remained on site with bar manager Brian Peel and others at the complex after the scene was closed for preservation.

Bernard McMahon, a sergeant attached to Coolock Garda Station at the time of the fire, told the inquest he was off duty that night but received a call at home telling him there had been a fire and he was required for duty.

The inquest heard Mr McMahon was tasked with preserving the scene at approximately 3.45am after the fire was extinguished and bodies removed to the morgue.

“At one stage between 4am and 6am I saw about five men whom I recognised as Mr Butterly and Mr Brian Peel in the foyer of the Silver Swan,” Mr McMahon said in his original 1981 statement to gardaí, which was read into the record today.

“I inspected this part of the premises at 6am. These men were still seated in the foyer of the Silver Swan talking to each other.”

Asked by Patricia Dillon SC, for Dublin City Council, if he had gone to Mr Butterly and Mr Peel and had any conversations with them to say he was closing the scene, Mr McMahon said: “Not that I can recall”.

However, he said he had earlier expressed to Mr Butterly that he was “very unhappy with people being on the premises”.

The witness earlier told Simon Mills SC, a member of the coroner’s legal team, that he had visited the site of the Stardust complex on two occasions prior to the blaze when he had observed fire exit doors locked with chains.

He said he discussed the use of padlocks with Mr Peel who told him this was the only way “to keep the gougers out”.

Asked by counsel if he understood from Mr Peel that there was a policy to have these doors locked while functions were taking place, Mr McMahon said it was.

The witness said he wanted to make clear to the bar manager that he wasn’t satisfied with the procedures in place at the Stardust because of the number of people that attended functions there at the time.

At the conclusion of his evidence, Mr McMahon said he wished to express his condolences to the families of the 48 people who lost their lives.

“I was affected myself, and my family, and I just can appreciate what they have gone through in the meantime,” he said.

“I think it’s ironic that after 42 years we’re still here.”

Patrick Colleran, a garda Inspector with 20 years experience at the time and who was on duty at the communication centre in Dublin Castle, said the first call about the fire was received at 1.46am.

Mr Colleran told Mark Tottenham BL, a member of the coroner’s legal team, that he was the senior garda officer on duty at the centre that night.

He told counsel stage one of the Major Accident Plan had been put into operation at the scene at 2.06am and he directed the implementation of stage two at 2.12am on foot of information from the garda officer in charge at the scene. He said this was co-ordinated from Dublin Castle.

A Superintendent and the Assistant Commissioner were informed of the situation and they both came directly to the centre and assisted in the overall direction of the operation, Mr Colleran said in his 1981 garda statement, which was read into the record today.

Provisions for traffic management to allow emergency vehicles to easily access the site were put in place and portable lighting from Dublin airport and garda workshops were also sent to provide assistance at the scene, he said.

After the injured were conveyed to emergency departments, Gardaí were directed to each of the hospitals concerned with a view to compiling a list of names and addresses of all involved. This information was channelled back to the centre.

“At 2.20am it was indicated from the scene that the fire was then under control and that it appeared all of the injured had been removed to the hospitals,” Mr Colleran said in his statement.

“At 2.33am confirmation was received from the scene that the three bodies had been located in the building and confirmation of the finding of other bodies were transmitted to the centre at intervals later.”

Three special telephone numbers were set up at Dublin Castle to deal specifically with queries regarding the fire and these numbers were passed to RTE with a request that they be broadcast to the public in early news bulletins.

Asked by Des Fahy KC, representing nine of the families of the deceased, if he had notified the State Pathologist to come to the scene, Mr Colleran said: “No, I can’t recall that I did”.

“Was there provision in the major accident plan that the state pathologist be directed or ordered to the scene by the guard in charge?” Mr Fahy asked.

“I would assume it was the officer in charge at the scene that would notify the state pathologist,” Mr Colleran replied.

“But you certainly didn’t do that?” asked counsel.

“I didn’t no, but I wasn’t at the scene,” the witness said.

Patrick O’Connell told the inquest he had been a member of An Garda Siochana for almost three years and was attached to the crime task force at the time of the fatal fire.

He said he arrived at the scene at 2.05am and observed “smoke and sparks” coming from the roof of the building.

He said he entered the building through exit five with other officers and assisted in the search and removal of bodies.

Mr O’Connell said a large number of bodies were located “mainly around the table and chair area of the dance floor”.

At 3.30am he escorted the first ambulance to the city morgue and remained there on duty recording and assisting in the transfer of bodies into the morgue, Mr O’Connell said in his original garda statement, which was read into the record today.

The garda said he and his colleagues made space inside the morgue by moving trollies to try to accommodate the large amount of bodies which were being brought in.

He said there were eventually 40 bodies throughout the morgue and a number of “army men” then arrived and began to erect a tent in the yard of the site.

Mr O’Connell told Mr Tottenham that he was in an unmarked garda patrol van at the time and arrived at 2.05am.

He said he thought the main fire was extinguished by that time but there were still sparks coming from the interior of the building which was being hosed down when he arrived.

In response to questioning, the witness told Sean Guerin SC, for a number of families of the deceased, that he could not recall any consideration being given to the desirability of recording the location that individual remains were removed from which might have some forensic significance at a later stage.

He said he and colleagues were treating the situation as a “human catastrophe” and there was no suggestion of a “crime scene”, at any time that he was aware of.

Thomas Vennard told the jury he was not present at the Stardust on the night of the fire but was working as Station House Officer at Coolock Garda Station.

The inquest heard he received a radio message about a serious fire at the Stardust. He said he despatched a sergeant who was on a bicycle patrol a short distance from the club.

At 1.59am he received a message from this sergeant requesting that all available ambulances be sent to the Stardust, Mr Vennard said in his 1981 garda statement. The sergeant was subsequently informed that two bodies had been found.

He said he later received a call requesting that he contact the city coroner and ask that the bodies be brought to the city morgue.

The witness told Mr Mills that the situation was brought home to him by the request from the sergeant he was in contact with at the scene that all available ambulances should be sent to the nightclub.

“He told me that the fire brigade officer in charge of the scene at the time had requested additional ambulances. When I enquired how many ambulances were required, I was told ‘whatever you can get’”, said Mr Vennard. “That came from the senior fire officer at the scene.”

He said he contacted Kilbarrack Fire Station and passed on that information to them so that ambulances could be mobilised.

He said three gardaí were despatched “as a matter of course” from Coolock because “we knew the situation was very serious and that all personnel would probably be required.”

Asked by counsel if he had ever received any specific training for the situation he found himself in that night, providing garda backup at the scene of a major fire, Mr Vennard said: “Not that I can recall, no.”

“This was something that we had never experienced previously. It was completely new as far as we were concerned,” he said. “It’s not too often we had a major fire like that; we never had a major fire like that.”

He confirmed that he contacted the coroner at the time who would have had to authorise the removal of the bodies to the morgue and arranged for it to be open as ambulances arrived.

The inquest continues on Monday.