A 12-year-old boy died from internal bleeding after he was stabbed by a nine-year-old boy following an apparent row over ownership of a wire trolley, which they had been using to keep a dog.
Jonathan Kelly, Ocean View estate, Wicklow town, died early on September 22nd last year during surgery and resuscitation attempts at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin.
He had been transferred from Loughlinstown hospital, having initially been treated by a local GP. Post-mortem examination showed his left kidney had been punctured by the stab wound.
Dublin City Coroner's Court heard he had been stabbed with a large, pointed steel "steak knife" by another boy in the garden of the other child's house shortly after 6 p.m. on September 21st.
There was evidence from onlookers that the child subsequently fell into the road in front of his elder brother, who had spoken to him just minutes previously. Jonathan said he could not feel his legs and could not breathe, the inquest heard.
His brother and a friend drove Jonathan to a local medical centre, where he was seen by Dr Nicholas Byrne.
Dr Byrne said the boy's vital signs - his breathing, pulse, heart rate and bowel sounds - were all normal. He put stitches in the wound in the child's back.
Dr Byrne told the inquest he may have been "lulled into a sense of security" about the depth of the wound, given that it had resulted from a "nine-year-old and an eleven-year-old" playing together. There was also no blood around the wound at that time, which again led him to believe it was a "just a small puncture wound".
There was no evidence of any swelling of the organs and the child's abdomen was not swollen.
Dr Byrne did not recall Jonathan's mother, Ms Breda Kelly, telling him while he attended the child that he had vomited blood in the van on the way there. The doctor stated there was vomit on the child's clothes but he could not recall seeing blood in it. Ms Kelly claimed the doctor told her that this symptom was a result of "shock", that Jonathan would be all right and she could take him home.
When he asked Jonathan to stand, he then complained of pain and was examined again.
His vital signs again appeared to be normal but he had pain in his groin. The doctor felt the muscle beneath the stab wound had not been penetrated.
During the 20 or 25 minutes he was with Jonathan, the child was concerned about whether he would have to go to school the next day. He was "talkative and co-operative".
Dr Byrne said he then left the surgery to attend another emergency call-out but asked Ms Kelly and Jonathan to wait.
He planned to keep in touch with the clinic by mobile phone and when he telephoned while en route to his call, he discovered the child's condition had deteriorated.
On speaking to his colleague, Dr Mary Flynn, they agreed an ambulance should be called. Jonathan had at that stage vomited blood and became pale and clammy.
Dr Byrne said he was "very upset and saddened" to learn subsequently of his death. He offered his sympathies to the Kelly family.
Jonathan was transferred by ambulance to Loughlinstown hospital and later to Crumlin, where he underwent emergency surgery. He received about 25 units of blood but went into respiratory and cardiac failure and died.
The inquest heard that no prosecution was directed following the preparation of a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Garda∅ said the nine-year-old child had been interviewed but had said nothing "on the advice of his solicitor".
His mother would not make a statement to the Garda. The inquest was adjourned to December 4th for further evidence.