Recalling the terrifying episode at Dublin City Coroner's Court yesterday, Mr Beshoff said Mr Byrne let the clutch out and accelerated hard, driving the car over the side between two boats. "This happened so quickly I only realised when we were going over the side that Mr Byrne was on a suicide mission." As the car filled with water, Mr Beshoff managed to get out the door and swam to the surface where a man, Joseph Caulfield, pulled him out of the water.
"I was stunned and explained to Joe that the driver was still in the car and I felt it was deliberate and he tried to kill me," said Mr Beshoff, who did not know Mr Byrne. Mr Byrne pressed the central console locking the doors before driving off the pier but, when questioned by the coroner Dr Brian Farrell, Mr Beshoff said he didn't think it was deliberate. The body of Mr Byrne, who had a history of depression and who had thoughts of suicide in the past, was later recovered by a diver.
A post-mortem found the father of two young children, who had separated from his wife a year earlier, died of drowning. Dr Brian Farrell recorded a verdict of death by suicide. "What isn't really explained is why Richard should have involved Mr Beshoff at all," he said. Some time after the incident, Mr Beshoff suggested that "maybe he wanted someone with him because he was too scared to do it on his own".
2 comments:
I have a lot of sympathy for those who feel suicide is their only option, but all that sympathy goes away if the way they choose to end their lives involves/endangers other people. Jumping in front of a train and traumatising the driver is wrong, but trying to take someone with you like in this case is wrong in so many more ways, it's simply despicable. I realise the dead man was suffering, that's why he did what he did, but I almost hope he hadn't died so he could suffer more, he should feel the guilt and understand the awfulness of what he did.
Yeah... it's too bad he died, because he really should have been charged with attempted murder. He got off easy, getting exactly what he wanted. No justice here.
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