Latest news with #DublinDistrictCoronersCourt
BreakingNews.ie
04-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Chinese student who drowned in Liffey may have been victim of online fraud
A young Chinese student who drowned in the River Liffey just over a month after she had moved to Ireland may have been the victim of online fraud as well as being involved in a romantic relationship that ended, an inquest has heard. Haoyu Zhang (23) was pronounced dead at around 4am on January 18th, 2024, shortly after her body was recovered from the water at Inns Quay by a Dublin Fire Brigade rescue boat. Advertisement A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court last week heard evidence that a number of 'goodbye' notes were found in the bedroom of Ms Zhang's lodgings in Dublin. The deceased's father, Yanlei Zhang, who travelled to Ireland from China with his wife for the inquest, gave evidence that his daughter had arrived in Ireland at the start of December 2023. Mr Zhang said she had intended to stay in Ireland to do a postgraduate degree in Trinity College to help fulfil her ultimate ambition of becoming an English teacher back in China. He told the coroner, Clare Keane, that it was her first time ever to travel outside China and she was very excited about going to study in Ireland, although she had no friends or relatives here. Advertisement The inquest heard Ms Zhang's parents had regular contact with her via video chat two to three times per week. 'Every time we spoke, she appeared happy. She never appeared sad,' said Mr Zhang. He added that she had never spoken about any worries and had no financial struggles. Mr Zhang explained that they sent her €1,000 every two weeks excluding money for rent and her tuition fees. He also confirmed that she had no issues with drugs or alcohol. Advertisement Mr Zhang said his daughter appeared normal and talked about plans for going for a walk and shopping during their last video call on January 13th, 2024. He also sent her a text on January 18th, 2024, to remind her to call her grandfather which went unreplied. The inquest heard the deceased's parents also established their daughter had been in contact with other friends in China in the days before her death and had not raised any concerns with them. In reply to questions from the coroner, Mr Zhang confirmed that his daughter was able to swim. Advertisement The deceased's landlady, Joan Meehan, said the student, who had asked to be called Claudia, was 'very happy but kept to herself a lot.' Ms Meehan said she tried to encourage her to go out and meet friends but that she chose to stay in writing her journals most of the time. She told the inquest that Ms Zhang always went to her classes in the Centre of English Studies language school on Dame Street on time and would return straight afterwards to their home off the Navan Road. However, Ms Meehan said the student had her dinner in her room on January 17th, 2024, which was out of character for her and then did not eat it. Advertisement She recalled that Ms Zhang explained that she was not feeling well and would not go to school the next day. The witness said she checked on Ms Zhang in her room at about 8pm that evening and recalled that it appeared that the student had been crying even though she denied it when asked. Ms Meehan said she woke up at some stage later that night when it sounded like someone was leaving the house. The landlady said Ms Zhang was reported missing to gardaí after she became worried when the young woman did not return home the following evening and the language school confirmed that she had not been in class. Ms Meehan said her husband, Paul, checked the student's bedroom and found five notes on a desk, one of which was in English addressed to her which thanked her for being a lovely host. The couple were contacted later that evening at around 5pm who informed them they had found a body believed to be Ms Zhang. Another witness, Patrick Brien, told the inquest that he was walking along the River Liffey opposite Ushers Quay at around 2:55am on January 18th, 2022, when he saw a red jacket in the water. Mr Brien said he alerted emergency services after he was looking at the object for about five minutes before he realised that it was 'not just a jacket.' Garda Conor Hearns told the coroner that the river was high and fast flowing on the night while conditions were freezing. Garda Hearns said gardaí conducting a search along the Liffey quays for evidence of how Ms Zhang got in the water were slipping on icy footpaths. He gave evidence that Ms Zhang's 'goodbye' letters in Chinese indicated that she had been in a romantic relationship that had ended. Garda Hearns said it seemed that the deceased had a desire to start a family with this person but was upset she may have made him unhappy. He also revealed that an examination of Ms Zhang's devices revealed that she may have been a victim of some fraud in the days before her death which was the subject of a separate ongoing investigation by the Garda cybercrime unit. However, Garda Hearns said the potential offence had occurred outside Ireland and the case had not identified any person of interest in relation to Ms Zhang's death. He confirmed that gardaí were satisfied that there was nothing suspicious about her death. Garda Hearns said an extensive search of CCTV cameras located between Ms Zhang's lodgings and the Liffey quays had been unable to trace any of her movements that night. The coroner noted that a postmortem showed the victim had died as a result of drowning. Recording an open verdict, Dr Keane explained that while there was evidence about the 'goodbye' letters and Ms Zhang being upset, there needed to be proof 'beyond reasonable doubt' about the deceased's intention to return a verdict of suicide. The coroner said the open verdict reflected the fact that not all the details of her death were known and she could not discount the possibility that Ms Zhang had slipped into the river. Offering her condolences to the student's parents, Dr Keane remarked: 'It is tragic to see her dreams cut short in this manner and your dreams for her.' If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can freephone the Samaritans 24 hours a day for confidential support at 116 123 or email jo@ You can also freephone the national Bereavement Support Line run by the HSE and Irish Hospice Foundation at 1800-80 70 77 (Monday-Friday 10am-1pm), and the contact information for a range of mental health supports is available at In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
Irish Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
More questions than answers for family of teen who died after routine procedures
The family of a teenager who died suddenly and unexpectedly after routine surgical procedures at a children's hospital in Dublin four years ago claim they have been left with "more questions than answers" following an inquest into his death. A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court heard doctors admit they remain baffled how Carlow student, Cillian Gorman, acquired what was described as a "vanishingly rare" blood clotting condition in a sudden and catastrophic manner. The 14-year-old from Tullow, Co Carlow was admitted to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin on March 14, 2021 and underwent both an endoscopy on his upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and a liver biopsy the following day. The student had the procedures as part of tests being conducted by doctors who suspected he might be developing inflammatory bowel disease. The inquest on Tuesday heard his condition deteriorated and he became unresponsive a few hours later while he was recovering from the surgery before he was confirmed to have suffered brain stem death on March 20, 2021. A large group of relatives and friends of Cillian's parents, Deirdre and Declan Gorman, burst into applause when the family's counsel, David Roberts BL, called for a verdict of death due to medical misadventure at the end of evidence from several medical witnesses. Mr Roberts claimed Cillian was a healthy boy but had suffered a catastrophic event resulting in his death while under the care of the hospital. He said Cillian's parents did not accept the medical evidence they had heard at the inquest. However, counsel for CHI at Crumlin, Conor Halpin SC, claimed that a narrative verdict was the appropriate finding as there was no evidence linking the care provided by the hospital to the boy's death to support a finding of medical misadventure. The coroner, Clare Keane, recorded the cause of death as a lack of oxygen to the brain due to acute intracranial bleeding secondary to thrombophilia – a condition which causes the blood to clot. Dr Keane noted that significant factors in the background of the deceased's health were auto-immune hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the coroner stressed that they were not directly contributory to his death. Dr Keane said she would record a narrative verdict to reflect the complexity of the case and how it had been impossible to establish what caused the blood clotting. The inquest heard that specialist DNA testing had even been carried out but had proven inconclusive, while a pathologist who carried out a post-mortem on the teenager's body remarked that the case was "so rare, so unusual and so complicated." A consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist at CHI at Crumlin, Emer Fitzpatrick, said a finding that Cillian had thrombotic microangiopathy (a rare but serious disease otherwise known as TMA which damages small blood vessels resulting in clots) was one they had never come across in Dublin before. "I've never seen a child like that," said Dr Fitzpatrick. She described TMA as "vanishingly rare." A paediatric radiologist who carried out the liver biopsy, David Rea, said pre-surgery tests indicated the patient had a slightly elevated risk of bleeding but it was deemed safe to proceed with the procedure. Dr Rea said there were no concerns while Cillian was in the operating theatre and he had remained in a stable condition. The inquest heard that Cillian had been brought back to a recovery ward at 2.30pm. Dr Fitzpatrick said she reviewed the patient at 6.15pm when he appeared in good form and smiling after having eaten a few slices of toast. She pointed out that he was also under enhanced observation after a liver biopsy but there were no concerns about any of his vital signs. The inquest heard that Cillian subsequently complained of a headache and vomiting later that evening. His mother raised the alarm when he suddenly became unresponsive after a few deep breaths at 8.40pm. He was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit where it was found that he had massive internal pressure on his brain. Doctors decided that a plan to transfer the patient to CHI at Temple Street could not go ahead as his condition was too unstable. Evidence was heard that he remained comatose for the next few days until March 20, 2021 when brain stem death was confirmed. A consultant paediatrician, Michelle Dillon, gave evidence of how Cillian was treated at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny in June 2020 after he had been experiencing worsening dizziness. The inquest heard that the patient, who also suffered some diarrhoea and weight loss, was diagnosed with anaemia for which he was prescribed iron. However, Dr Dillon said she was also concerned that Cillian might be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease and he was referred to CHI at Crumlin. A neuropathologist, Michael Farrell, said a post-mortem examination of the patient's brain found it was "massively swollen" and there were multiple areas of bleeding within the brain which he believed had occurred in a "hyper acute" manner. However, Prof Farrell admitted he could not explain why it had happened. A paediatric pathologist, Maureen O'Sullivan, who also carried out a post-mortem on the body said she had "never seen anything like this before." Prof O'Sullivan said the most salient finding was in relation to "very abnormal clotting" throughout the patient's blood vessels. She said TMA was highly abnormal for patients who might have inflammatory bowel disease but there were multiple sites of clotting in Cillian's organs including his lung, liver and heart. However, the pathologist acknowledged she had been unable to establish what had triggered such clotting. Addressing Cillian's parents at the conclusion of the inquest, Dr Keane observed that the loss of their son – the second oldest of four children – was "unbearable" for his family. The coroner expressed hope that the inquest had clarified some issues but said she also realised that "you still may have more questions than answers." Speaking on behalf of Cillian's parents after the hearing, the family's solicitor, Simon McElwee said they did not agree with the narrative verdict but accepted how the coroner had conducted the inquest. "Cillian was a robust, normal child when he went into hospital. He was dead when he came out. After hearing all the evidence of the doctors today, my clients learned nothing new and have more questions than answers. They have no trust in the CHI," said Mr McElwee.
BreakingNews.ie
29-04-2025
- Health
- BreakingNews.ie
Family of teen who died after routine surgeries left with 'more questions than answers' after inquest
The family of a teenager who died suddenly and unexpectedly after routine surgical procedures at a children's hospital in Dublin four years ago claim they have been left with 'more questions than answers' following an inquest into his death. A sitting of Dublin District Coroners Court heard doctors admit they remain baffled how Carlow student, Cillian Gorman, acquired what was described as a 'vanishingly rare' blood clotting condition in a sudden and catastrophic manner. Advertisement The 14-year-old from Tullow, Co Carlow, was admitted to Children's Health Ireland at Crumlin on March 14th, 2021, and underwent both an endoscopy on his upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and a liver biopsy the following day. The student had the procedures as part of tests being conducted by doctors who suspected he might be developing inflammatory bowel disease. The inquest on Tuesday heard his condition deteriorated and he became unresponsive a few hours later while he was recovering from the surgery, before he was confirmed to have suffered brain stem death on March 20th, 2021. A large group of relatives and friends of Cillian's parents, Deirdre and Declan Gorman, burst into applause when the family's counsel, David Roberts BL, called for a verdict of death due to medical misadventure at the end of evidence from several medical witnesses. Advertisement Mr Roberts claimed Cillian was a healthy boy but had suffered a catastrophic event resulting in his death while under the care of the hospital. He said Cillian's parents did not accept the medical evidence they had heard at the inquest. However, counsel for CHI at Crumlin, Conor Halpin SC, claimed that a narrative verdict was the appropriate finding as there was no evidence linking the care provided by the hospital to the boy's death to support a finding of medical misadventure. The coroner, Clare Keane, recorded the cause of death as a lack of oxygen to the brain due to acute intracranial bleeding secondary to thrombophilia – a condition which causes the blood to clot. Advertisement Dr Keane noted that significant factors in the background of the deceased's health were autoimmune hepatitis and inflammatory bowel disease. However, the coroner stressed that they were not directly contributory to his death. Dr Keane said she would record a narrative verdict to reflect the complexity of the case and how it had been impossible to establish what caused the blood clotting. The inquest heard that specialist DNA testing had even been carried out but had proven inconclusive, while a pathologist who carried out a postmortem on the teenager's body remarked that the case was 'so rare, so unusual and so complicated.' Advertisement A consultant gastroenterologist and hepatologist at CHI at Crumlin, Emer Fitzpatrick, said a finding that Cillian had thrombotic microangiopathy (a rare but serious disease otherwise known as TMA which damages small blood vessels resulting in clots) was one they had never come across in Dublin before. 'I've never seen a child like that,' said Dr Fitzpatrick. She described TMA as 'vanishingly rare.' A paediatric radiologist who carried out the liver biopsy, David Rea, said pre-surgery tests indicated the patient had a slightly elevated risk of bleeding, but it was deemed safe to proceed with the procedure. Dr Rea said there were no concerns while Cillian was in the operating theatre, and he had remained in a stable condition. Advertisement The inquest heard that Cillian had been brought back to a recovery ward at 2.30pm. Dr Fitzpatrick said she reviewed the patient at 6.15pm when he appeared in good form and smiling after having eaten a few slices of toast. She pointed out that he was also under enhanced observation after a liver biopsy, but there were no concerns about any of his vital signs. The inquest heard that Cillian subsequently complained of a headache and vomiting later that evening. His mother raised the alarm when he suddenly became unresponsive after a few deep breaths at 8.40pm. He was transferred to the hospital's intensive care unit, where it was found that he had massive internal pressure on his brain. Doctors decided that a plan to transfer the patient to CHI at Temple Street could not go ahead as his condition was too unstable. Evidence was heard that he remained comatose for the next few days until March 20th, 2021, when brain stem death was confirmed. A consultant paediatrician, Michelle Dillon, gave evidence of how Cillian was treated at St Luke's Hospital in Kilkenny in June 2020 after he had been experiencing worsening dizziness. The inquest heard that the patient, who also suffered some diarrhoea and weight loss, was diagnosed with anaemia for which he was prescribed iron. However, Dr Dillon said she was also concerned that Cillian might be suffering from inflammatory bowel disease, and he was referred to CHI at Crumlin. A neuropathologist, Michael Farrell, said a postmortem examination of the patient's brain found it was 'massively swollen' and there were multiple areas of bleeding within the brain, which he believed had occurred in a 'hyper-acute' manner. However, Prof Farrell admitted he could not explain why it had happened. A paediatric pathologist, Maureen O'Sullivan, who also carried out a postmortem on the body, said she had 'never seen anything like this before.' Prof O'Sullivan said the most salient finding was in relation to 'very abnormal clotting' throughout the patient's blood vessels. She said TMA was highly abnormal for patients who might have inflammatory bowel disease, but there were multiple sites of clotting in Cillian's organs, including his lung, liver and heart. However, the pathologist acknowledged she had been unable to establish what had triggered such clotting. Ireland Funeral hears Leaving Cert student (18) who died i... Read More Addressing Cillian's parents at the conclusion of the inquest, Dr Keane observed that the loss of their son, the second oldest of four children, was 'unbearable' for his family. The coroner expressed hope that the inquest had clarified some issues but said she also realised that 'you still may have more questions than answers.' Speaking on behalf of Cillian's parents after the hearing, the family's solicitor, Simon McElwee, said they did not agree with the narrative verdict but accepted how the coroner had conducted the inquest. 'Cillian was a robust, normal child when he went into the hospital. He was dead when he came out. After hearing all the evidence of the doctors today, my clients learned nothing new and have more questions than answers. They have no trust in the CHI,' said Mr McElwee.
