OAP may have had a seizure before drowning in the bath

Sister found decomposed body of John, 75, in water

AN ELDERLY man who drowned in his own bathtub probably suffered some type of medical event as he was getting in, an inquest heard.

Dublin District Coroner’s Court heard the body of John Dillon, 75, was discovered in an advanced stage of decomposition in the bathroom of his home at Leopardstown Avenue, Stillorgan on May 30, 2022.

The deceased’s sister, Pamela Dolan, told an inquest yesterday that she had sought the assistance of gardai to enter the house as she was concerned that she had not heard from her brother for a number of weeks and she did not have a key to the property.

Ms Dolan, inset, said she had come to remind her brother, who had suffered from regular seizures and mental health problems since sustaining serious head injuries when struck by a car in the 1970s, that he had an appointment with a neurologist the following day. She said she had last seen him about three weeks previously when he had appeared in good form.

But Ms Dolan said he refused to take medication for his condition and his mental health had deteriorated rapidly in the months before his death.

The inquest heard that Mr Dillon, who lived alone, was a well-known figure around the Stillorgan and Blackrock areas. Ms Dolan said he had worked irregularly at odd jobs for most of his life after he was made redundant from a financial services company.

In reply to questions from coroner Crona Gallagher, the witness said her brother was in the habit of having a weekly bath on a Saturday. The coroner observed that although Mr Dillon was officially pronounced dead on May 30, 2022, the evidence suggested that it could have occurred either nine or 16 days earlier based on the information about his routine for taking a bath.

Garda Michael Burke said he responded to a call to attend Mr Dillon’s house in Stillorgan where the deceased’s sister had arranged for a locksmith to open the front door.

Garda Burke said there was a large pile of mail inside the property when he entered it at around 11pm as well as a strong smell.

The inquest heard Mr Dillon’s body was found in the bathroom with his face and upper torso submerged under the bath water.

The water in the bath, which was half-full, had become discoloured from the body’s state of decomposition.

Garda Burke confirmed that there were no signs of entry to the property by a third party and no suspicion of foul play.

He could not recall finding any evidence which might have helped to pinpoint the date of Mr Dillon’s death.

Garda Burke also told the coroner that it appeared from the position of the body that Mr Dillon had partially fallen into the bath as he was preparing to get into it.

Given Mr Dillon’s history of regular seizures, the coroner Dr Gallagher said that she could not rule out that Mr Dillon had suffered one as he was getting into the bath. She recorded a verdict of accidental death.