THE tragic case of a 23-year-old Donegal man who died as a result of his injuries after being run over by a bus began in Letterkenny last Thursday.

Shaun T Carlin (23) from Dungorman, Castlefin was pronounced dead at 23.25pm on Saturday, 2 May 2004, in the presence of family members.

This was confirmed at a direction inquest in February by the deposition of Dr Richard O'Driscoll, formerly of 23 Cloghanmore, now living in Australia, who was at the intensive care unit at Letterkenny General Hospital on the night in question and pronounced the death of the late young Castlefin man.

Mr Carlin died from injuries sustained following an incident in Letterkenny earlier that morning. He ended up beneath a bus which then proceeded to move off drove over the deceased.

Depositions from over 500 witnesses were taken by the Gardaí were short-listed to 36 which Coroner, Mr Sean Cannon, began calling on Thursday. Friends of the deceased Michael Bonner, Damien Irwin and Michael McGlinchey who were all out with Mr Carlin on the night of 1 to 2 May 2004 recalled the events in their depositions. The group had all met at Lynch's Bar, Castlefin at 10.30pm, after Carlin and some of his friends had just returned from playing a game for their local GAA club's senior team.

The coroner heard that Mr Carlin booked a taxi for him and his friends and after finishing a drink in the bar, the were picked up and taken to the Cavern Bar on Lower Main Street, Letterkenny, arriving there at 11.30pm.

All witnesses stated that they had bought their own drinks and therefore couldn't recall how many drinks Mr Carlin had consumed himself.

The friends later went to The Grill Nightclub, Port Road, Letterkenny at 1am. In their separate depositions all three witness had said that Mr Carlin had spent most the night walking through the club on his own. Mr Bonner said: "Shaun was wild man for walking around to meet girls."

The friends from Castlefin later met outside The Grill Nightclub at a chip van in the car park.

Both Mr Bonner and Mr McGIinlinchey referred to the fact that Mr Carlin was staggering and fell and was picked up.

Representing the deceased's family, Solicitor, Mr Damien Tansey, pointed out to all three witnesses that they had said in their depositions that Mr Carlin was 'very drunk' on the night and whether or not they thought they themselves were incapacitated to the extent that they couldn't tell if the deceased was drunk on the night.

All three witnesses agreed to strike out these statements from their depositions, while Mr McGlinchey pointed out that he didn't have that many drinks, but still wished to strike out that he thought that his friend Mr Carlin was "right and staggering on his feet".

Mr Irwin told the inquest that he, Mr McGlinchey and Mr Bonner then all started making their way to the Station Roundabout where they were going to get the minibus to Castlefin.

The inquest heard that Mr Irwin had tried to make contact with the late Mr Carlin when they were sitting on the bus but to no avail.

"Our minibus left at 3.30am and we didn't see any fights in the area at the time we drove off," said Mr Irwin.

Witness, Kieran Gallagher from Letterkenny told the inquest that he saw a "crowd kicking and fighting" near a white minibus which was parked near the Station Roundabout.

Jennifer Hunter from Sion Mills, Strabane had been to the Pulse Nightclub on the night in question along with her sister Carrie and cousins Caitriona and Patrice Houston.

She told the inquest that at 2.45am they left the club to make their way to Driftaway Travel beside Gleneany House where their taxi was picking them up.

Ms Hunter said she "was not much of a drinker" and therefore could clearly recall what happened next.

The witness said they saw a scuffle amongst a large crowd which was getting worse and decided to move on further up the road away from it.

"I saw a boy lying between the front and the back wheels of a white minibus parked 25 to 30ft away.

"The door slammed and the bus revved as it took off and there was dead silence," she said.

Ms Hunter said she repeatedly called after the driver shouting that he had run over someone before he eventually stopped.

Patrice Houston said in her deposition that after the bus had driven over the deceased she saw someone walk over and kick him once on the head and twice in the stomach.

""He had his back to me so I didn't see his face. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. He then disappeared into the crowd back towards Gleneany House and I didn't see him again."

State Pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, told the inquest that she had carried out a postmortem on the late Mr Carlin on Sunday, 3 May 2004.

Prof Cassidy concluded that Mr Carlin was fatally injured lying down and died as a result of the crush injuries to his head and chest by the wheels of a bus.

She added that her postmortem examination could not determine as to how he came to lying on the ground.

The inquest will continue on Tuesday, 1 September.

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