THE family of a former Customs and Excise Officer from Fahan, who died in the ICU at Altnagelvin Hospital in 1973, following a road traffic incident, are seeking a fresh inquest into his death.
John O’Sullivan’s family have raised questions, contending that on arrival at the hospital, doctors had assessed his chance of recovery as reasonable.
In the same period of time, two police officers from the then Royal Ulster Constabulary were admitted to the same ICU following a republican paramilitary attack.
Mr O’Sullivan’s family said they understand he died when his assisted breathing apparatus became disconnected.
They said there was no RUC investigation into his death in hospital and an open verdict was later recorded by the local coroner following an inquest in Derry.
His family also said they have been refused a request by the Northern Ireland Office for a public inquiry.
They are now requesting that the Attorney General for Northern Ireland, Brenda Kind, directs a coroner to conduct a fresh inquest into his death.
Mr O’Sullivan’s family said there are questions to be answered around “inconsistencies, discrepancies and questions which could be addressed by way of a coronial investigation”.
“Our family firstly, has endured five decades of guessing about the last moments of life for an adored son, cherished brother, loved husband and caring father, in his unaccounted death while recovering within the ICU at Altnagelvin Hospital in 1973, a needless death when secondly, his initial assessment looking so promising, he having so much more to offer, ever-more devastating for our late mother.
“We thirdly, only recently finding original inquest papers that were previously thought lost and our home being in the Republic of Ireland, we considered these questions on his death being limited,” his family stated.
The family said they have “now made an application to the Attorney General for Northern Ireland for her to direct a fresh inquest into his death”.
They said there are “too many questions remaining which can still be answered by an independent coronial investigation”.
Mr O’Sullivan’s family said: “There was no police investigation: the original inquest was flawed: the only path cruelly offered to a widow with a young family, being to engage in a protracted five-year civil action against a health authority answering no questions.
“This ICU was meant to be a sanctuary of clinical care with a code of safety, offering a shield in the expected recovery of our loved one.
“These systems failed him, failed our family and most importantly our mother and lastly these unanswered questions could continue to endanger others loved ones even today.”
Representing the family Christopher Stanley of KRW Law said a fresh inquest could answer the family’s questions.
Mr Stanley said the law firm has “applied to the Attorney General for Northern Ireland for her to find it advisable to direct a fresh inquest into the death of John O’Sullivan”.
“Mr O’Sullivan’s death in Altnagelvin Hospital ICU in 1973 was not investigated and was subject to a flawed inquest,” he said.
“His widow contested the circumstances of his death with the local health authority and with the British government,” he added.
Mr Stanley said there was “media coverage of his death at the time and questions asked then, remain unanswered today”.
“A fresh inquest could attempt to answer those questions and provided some respite from the grief of his family,” he added.
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