Hit-and-run toddler’s inquest adjourned
THE father of a toddler who was fatally injured in a hitand-run accident gave evidence as her inquest opened on what should have been her second birthday.
Little Venessa Siatka, of Brandon Square, Waterville, in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, suffered severe head injuries in the incident in the Phoenix Park on April 6. She was 23 months old at the time. She died in the early hours of the following morning at Temple Street Hospital.
She had been enjoying an evening in the park with her mother and friends on Easter Monday when the accident happened.
She was struck by the car, which failed to stop, at around 6.25pm on the North Road near the Ashtown gate. A car is believed to have been seen driving erratically in the area prior to the crash.
A 24-year-old man handed himself in for questioning following the incident and was later released without charge.
The opening of the inquest at Dublin Coroner’s Court heard gardaí were currently preparing a file for the DPP.
Venessa’s father, Lukasz Siatka, originally from Poland, attended the brief hearing alone, with her mother remaining outside the courtroom.
He took to the witness stand to give evidence that following his daughter’s death at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, he identified her body to Garda Niall Phelan of Blanchardstown Garda Station.
Mr Siatka told the coroner that his daughter, who was an only child, should have celebrated her second birthday yesterday. Detective In- spector Colm Murphy said gardaí were still conducting an investigation into Venessa’s death. He requested a six-month adjournment of the inquest.
The post mortem was carried out by acting deputy State pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan on the day of Venessa’s death.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell warned Mr Siatka that the medical evidence was ‘quite upsetting’. He said that Dr Mulligan’s preliminary report found that Venessa died from ‘severe head injuries’.
Offering his sympathies to the family, Dr Farrell told Mr Siatka that he was aware of some of the circumstances of the death but could not comment while the Garda investigation was still ongoing.
The inquest was adjourned for further mention on November 6.
Speaking shortly after her death in April, Mr Siatka spoke out about how his young daughter ‘went to the angels’ in the arms of her mother, Kasia, in Temple Street Hospital.
He said: ‘She was a happy, healthy and smiley little girl. If I had a bad day in work, it all disappeared when I walked through the door. She made our troubles disappear. She was beautiful. A beautiful little girl.’
He said that Venessa had gone to the park with her mother and a friend and another child on Monday when she was struck down.
Flowers, candles and other tributes were placed by members of the public close to the spot where the toddler was knocked down.
‘She made our troubles disappear’