AN OPEN verdict was recorded at an inquest in Dublin yesterday after the State Pathologist was questioned about the possibility of third-party involvement in the death by ligature strangulation of an Irishman whose body was found in a Nigerian hotel room.
John Falvey (52), Derheen, Thurles, Co Tipperary, was found lifeless on the floor of his room at the Sheraton Hotels and Tower complex in Lagos on April 29th, 2010, at about 2.30pm.
His girlfriend Gloria Azubuike, who was with him at time of death, was taken in for interrogation, a Nigerian police report sent to the Dublin County Coroner stated.
Mr Falvey, a Lufthansa engineer who was working in Nigeria, had been staying in the hotel for about two months.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy, who carried out a post-mortem, found Mr Falvey died of ligature strangulation, and that the death was consistent with a low-level hanging. She said she could not totally exclude the involvement of another person.
Giving evidence at an inquest into Mr Falvey’s death at Dublin County Coroner’s Court yesterday, Prof Cassidy said she found a pronounced mark across the front of Mr Falvey’s neck, consistent with a ligature mark. She said there was no pathological evidence of third-party involvement.
There were no marks on the body to suggest an assault or that he had been restrained or held down, Prof Cassidy said.
Asked by Dublin County Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty what she would expect to find if anyone else had been applying the ligature, she said that if Mr Falvey had been able to he would probably have tried to resist, and that in third-party situations there is usually more damage to the neck.
She said there was no evidence to suggest he had struggled. She said Mr Falvey, who was healthy prior to death, could have been asleep or intoxicated.
An analysis of vitreous humour in Mr Falvey’s eye as part of the postmortem in Ireland found he had been drinking prior to his death, but Prof Cassidy said she was unable to be more specific.
A postmortem in Nigeria had found death was due to ligature strangulation consistent with hanging.
Dr Geraghty received a report from the deputy commissioner of police in Lagos state in relation to the investigation into circumstances surrounding Mr Falvey’s death, which the coroner described as “very limited”. The investigation found Mr Falvey returned to his hotel room from the hotel club at 4am on April 29th with Ms Azubuike. It concluded that while Ms Azubuike was asleep the deceased used a shoelace to tie himself to the door knob of the main entrance to the room, choking himself to death.
The coroner told Mr Falvey’s family members there were no statements from the person who found Mr Falvey, from Ms Azubuike or from a security officer who was asked to go to Mr Falvey’s room on the afternoon his body was found. “We don’t have pictures, statements or witnesses.
“While the death is in keeping with self-inflicted strangulation, there are many unanswered questions because of a lack of evidence,” said the coroner.
The family are concerned that the report didn’t include statements, the inquest heard.
The inquest heard there was also a four-hour delay in reporting the death to the police.
The coroner recorded a cause of death of ligature strangulation and an open verdict.