A MAN in his 70s died after he was stabbed by a patient at Tallaght hospital, an inquest has heard.
James (Jim) McGrane (73), of College Park, Terenure, Dublin, died on January 12th last at St Vincent’s hospital in Dublin.
The former CIÉ worker was stabbed by a patient of Tallaght hospital’s psychiatric unit on May 11th, 2010. Mr McGrane was a patient at the hospital at the time.
A postmortem by State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy found that Mr McGrane had suffered a “delayed death following a stab wound to the neck”. However, this was disputed by counsel for the family, Joe O’Malley, who said Mr McGrane had sustained stab wounds to vertebrae in his upper back.
Insp John Walsh of Tallaght Garda station said the incident was before the courts and made an application for an adjournment.
“An assault case is before the courts, but the DPP will have to review the case now that the person who was assaulted has died,” Dublin city coroner Dr Brian Farrell said.
Mr McGrane’s family said he had never returned home following the incident. The case was adjourned until April 4th.