A finished postmortem examination of the disinterred remains of Patrick Nugent, a young man of 23 years who died in mysterious and violent circumstances in County Clare four decades ago, has been performed by a pathologist. Mr Nugent, who was employed as a chef, succumbed to crushing injuries while serving as the banquet manager for a party at Bunratty Castle in 1984 – the case remains unsolved and no convictions have ever been made.
The Garda Press Office stated on a recent Thursday that the findings of the forensic autopsy conducted by Dr Heidi Okkers will be withheld for “operational reasons”. The public has been urged by the Garda to provide any information pertaining to the demise of Mr Nugent. As a conditional part of the ongoing investigation into Mr Nugent’s demise, his remains were disinterred earlier that week.
Plans for the reburial of Mr Nugent are currently being organised in collaboration with his family and the local coroner’s office, according to the spokesperson from the Garda. During a media conference at Shannon Garda station, Inspector David Finnerty expressed confidence that emerging investigative tools and procedures would aid in delivering better understanding of Mr Nugent’s death to his kin.
Efforts to specifically ascertain the cause of death and the severity of sustained injuries led to the exhumation of his remains from a family-owned burial site in Feenagh, Sixmilebridge.
The Sixmilebridge-based Nugent family, who have been advocating for justice for a long time, are convinced that Mr Nugent’s death was not accidental, but rather a covered-up murder. Following a review of the case by District Court Judge Patrick Clyne in 2022, new criminal investigations were initiated.
Mr Nugent was serving at a 40th-anniversary event hosted at Bunratty Castle during his final moments. Around 4 in the morning, with barely a few guests remaining, startling sounds were heard from a courtyard. Mr Nugent, who had just signalled last call, was soon discovered critically injured and later succumbed to what the earlier postmortem identified as crush injuries in a medical facility.
According to the evidences gathered during the initial investigation, Mr Nugent was hit by a moving vehicle and potentially pinned against a stationary one. It was also suggested that his injuries might have been due to physical assault followed by the vehicular accident.