‘Narrative verdict’ in inquest into Mark Hennessy
A jury returned a narrative verdict last Thursday evening following an inquest into the death of killer Mark Hennessy.
Hennessy was shot dead by ‘Garda A’ on May 20 2018 after a manhunt came to a head at Cherrywood business park.
The previous evening, Hennessy had abducted student Jastine Valdez in Enniskerry, killed her, and left her remains at Pucks Castle.
Her body was found the day after Hennessy’s death.
Coronor Dr Myra Cullinane described what had unfolded as ‘exceptional and unusual in society’.
She said that the public had been very moved by the tragic circumstances in which Ms Valdez died. She said that two families’ lives were changed irreparably by the abduction and killing of Jastine Valdez.
‘This has been a most difficult inquest for those centrally involved and the Hennessy family in particular,’ said the coroner.
‘The tragic events that unfolded over a period of a little more than 48 hours in May 2018 were exceptional and unusual in society,’ she said.
‘The public were very moved by the plight of Jastine Valdez.’
Dr Cullinane commended brave acts by the public and first responders, ‘sadly without the desired outcome’.
The jury issued a number of recommendations, including the establishment of one central communications radio channel for Gardai in emergency situations.
The Hennessy family do not believe there was any malice involved in the shooting of Mark Hennessy, the inquest heard.
‘In relation to Detective Garda A the family are of the view that his view was reasonably held, that there was no malice in this situation,’ said solicitor Dermot Hickey on behalf of the family.
‘The family wish to express their gratitude to the jury and all parties involved in this investigation, criminal and civil,’
Members of the Hennessy family were present for the inquest.
The inquest previously heard that the Garda who shot Hennessy said he was left with no other option as he believed Jastine Valdez was in the car and in imminent danger.
A relative had met Hennessy in a car park in Killiney at around 3.30 p.m. on the day of his death and was alone in the car. Gardai were aware of that interaction by the time they enountered him in Cherrywood but said that the status could have changed in the intervening hours. A jury member asked if there was any garda in charge at the scene of the shooting of Mr Hennessy.
‘In a highly stressful dynamic situation as this was, the aim was to get the job done. There wasn’t time to sort out who was in charge,’ senior investigator Nicholas Harden replied.
The inquest heard that a post-incident manager position is to be created to deal with fatal firearm incidents involving gardai, to act as a conduit between GSOC and the officer involved.
The post-incident manager will be a member of An Garda Siochana. The jury endorsed this development as part of their recommendations.