The family of an 87-year-old Roosky man, who was found dead at his home four years ago, have issued an appeal to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to open a fresh investigation into his death.
The appeal comes in the wake of an inquest held last week into the death of elderly farmer Liam Farrell, Aughamore, Rooskey whom the family believe died in violent circumstances on January 12th, 2020.
The inquest heard that the widower was found by his daughter at the back door of his home, covered in blood, with his shoes and socks removed, his watch broken and bruising to his left eye and his feet.
Despite the jury at Carrick-on-Shannon Coroner’s Court delivering an open verdict into his death last week, the Farrell family was seeking a verdict of unlawful killing.
Evidence at the inquest from former state pathologist for Northern Ireland Professor Jack Crane, indicated that Liam Farrell’s injuries were consistent with an assault. The Farrell family had appointed Professor Crane to review the initial autopsy.
Speaking to the Roscommon Herald , Brendan Farrell, a son of the deceased, said that the family would now be appealing to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to open a “new, fresh” investigation into their father’s death.
“We were seeking an unlawful death at the inquest because we know Daddy was assaulted and Professor Crane’s report goes very far with that. He said that my father suffered blunt force trauma and there were defensive type wounds on his hands. He is saying that he didn’t directly die from that but the stress involved from that trauma would have led to his death.”
Mr Farrell said the family would be seeking a new investigation because they feel that “fresh eyes “ are needed, “there’s more people to talk to” and there is “a lot more in this case to be sorted”.
He also said that there were two sets of footprints near the house before any paramedics or Gardaí got to the scene of his father’s death. Some of these were “running type footprints”, he said. “These footprints were not investigated and we’re devastated. They weren’t used in the inquest or the investigation that we know of,” he said.
On behalf of his family, he is also appealing to people who may have any information on their father’s death.
“It mightn’t mean much to them but to the detectives, it could mean a lot. You would not want to see what we saw that day, we will never forget it. It was absolutely horrendous,” he said.
The inquest into Liam Farrell last week heard that Consultant Pathologist Professor Paul Hartel, who carried out the initial autopsy, said that Mr Farrell died of a heart attack relating to severe coronary heart disease. Professor Hartel also said had he been informed at the time that Mr Farrell’s body was discovered in suspicious circumstances, he would have referred the autopsy to a forensic pathologist.
Chief State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan later reviewed the autopsy report following a request from An Garda Síochána, and said there were two possible scenarios.
She said Mr Farrell either suffered a heart attack, and in a confused state, may have fallen, or there was another party involved that led to a stressed induced heart attack.
