State pathologist to begin evidence on Carthy death

Barr TribunalThe State pathologist, Prof John Harbison, begins his evidence at the Barr tribunal today in relation to the fatal shooting of Mr John Carthy, the man at the centre of the Abbeylara siege.

Mr Carthy was killed by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit outside his Co Longford home in April 2000, following a 25-hour armed standoff with gardaí.

Prof Harbison has been brought in as an expert witness for the forensic module of the tribunal. On the day of the shooting, Prof Harbison was called to Abbeylara at 7 p.m. A local GP, Dr Niall O'Donoghue, had pronounced Mr Carthy dead at the scene at 6.11 p.m. Prof Harbison made arrangements for the body to be removed to Mullingar hospital, where he performed the post-mortem.

Prof Harbison has already given evidence about the injuries sustained by Mr Carthy at the inquest into his death, held at Longford Coroner's Court in October 2000.

At this time he concluded the 27-year-old, who suffered from manic depression, was shot four times from behind, with the final, fatal shot piercing his heart. The first three bullets would not have killed Mr Carthy, he said.

The first two, which hit his left thigh, "would probably have been on their own survivable", as they did not enter the bone and did not prevent him from walking, according to Garda witnesses. A third bullet into the base of the spine was fired while he was still moving. He said this was also survivable but would have caused extensive injuries if Mr Carthy had lived.

Dr Harbison said he believed the final shot, which also entered the lower back, could have entered Mr Carthy as he was "bending or falling forwards" after being hit by the third bullet. The 9mm bullet exited his upper chest, piercing the lung and heart.

Garda witnesses have told the tribunal that Mr Carthy continued to walk forward in an upright position until he was hit by the fourth and final shot.