THE man who apparently hanged in the Central Mental Hospital had a history of arrests from domestic violence and was due to appear in court yesterday.
Mr Gerard Conway (34), from Chapelizod, Dublin, also had a record of petty larceny and of receiving stolen goods.
He was receiving treatment in the Central Mental Hospital prior to his appearance in court on several charges arising from assaults on a woman late last year.
No specific details were released by the Eastern Health Board, which has responsibility for the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, other than that a patient had committed suicide.
A spokeswoman for the board said it was not its policy to release the name or other details of people who committed suicide in its institutions. She said staff and "the man's family were receiving counselling. It is understood Mr Conway had been married with a young family, but was separated.
The fact that Mr Conway had hanged himself arose at Dublin Circuit Court yesterday morning when a lawyer explained to the court why the sexual assault and assault charges were being withdrawn.
Mr Conway, whose address was given as Drummond House, Chapelizod, was due to be arraigned on charges of assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm to a woman on November 17th, 1995.
He was returned to the Circuit, Court from the District Court on February 20th, 1996.
He was charged with assault ing the woman at Chapelizod Hill. Road on November 17th, 1995 again at Townsend Street, Dublin, with intent to cause bodily harm on December 12th, 1995; assaulting her at Cardiff Lane, Dublin, with intent to cause bodily harm, on December 12th, 1995; sexually assaulting her on December 12th, 1995, at Cardiff Lane; unlawfully and maliciously causing her grievous bodily harm assaulting occasioning actual bodily harm on her and commons assault on her on December 18th, 1995, at Ballyfermot.
