Courts / Louth / Report

Family of murder accused who hung himself in cell settle damages action

Summary

The family of Shane Rogers, a 32‑year‑old man charged with the murder of GAA player James Hughes, settled a High Court damages action for €50,000. Rogers was found unconscious in a holding cell beneath Cloverhill Courthouse on 20 December 2011, after being transferred from Cloverhill Prison for a scheduled hearing. He was taken to hospital and died shortly thereafter. The family alleged that the Governor of Cloverhill Prison, the Minister for Justice, Ireland and the Attorney General were negligent and breached duty and the European Convention of Human Rights. They claimed the prison failed to search Rogers for a ligature, did not provide adequate psychological assessment or treatment, and failed to monitor him in solitary confinement or holding cells. The judge, Ms Justice Deidre Murphy, approved the settlement and acknowledged a report by Judge Michael Reily that identified failures in record‑keeping, communication and governance within the prison system.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Family of murder accused who hung himself in cell settle damages action. Procedural stage: charge_or_pretrial

When:

• December 20th 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
• December 2011 Other
• 2016-01-25 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Charge Or Pretrial Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report