Verdict adjourned at inquest of patient who went missing from MUH
Patrick Rowland went missing from MUH on the night of January 17, 2023.
The coroner for the Mayo District has decided not to immediately issue a verdict at the close of a three-day inquest into the death of a Mayo University Hospital patient who went missing on January 17, 2023, and was later found to have drowned in the Castlebar River.
Coroner Patrick O'Connor has instead advised lawyers representing both sides in the case - Mayo University Hospital and the family of 69-year-old Patrick Rowland from Lahardane, Ballina, who died - to make written submissions of no greater length than 3,000 words, which he will consider before issuing his verdict on Monday, July 22nd.
Mr O'Connor said the submissions could be in relation to proposed verdicts in the case and any recommendations they wish to make and told the Coroner’s Court sitting in Swinford Court House this week: “I appreciate this has been an extremely trying and difficult time for the Rowland family, it has gone on for 18 months at this stage. I don’t think all questions around what happened on that morning of January 17 will be answered particularly in relation to Mr Rowland and what his thought processes were. However, you can take it I will not be recording a death of self-inflicted death or suicide, as there is no evidence of such.”
He extended sympathy to the Rowland family and also thanked Mayo University Hospital, the legal teams, An Garda Síochána and all 35 witnesses involved in the inquest.
The coroner’s court will reconvene on Monday July 22 at 12 noon in Swinford Court House for the delivery of the verdict.
