Dublin - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970

Terence Wheelock's family and friends continue their campaign.

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice

Tuesday September 05, 2006 18:30

by tom foley - civil rights watch

0876221218 or 0860692541

Terence Wheelock Protest saturday 16th of september 06 at 2:30 pm Sean Mcdermot st church

Terence wheelock died on the 16th of september 05, from injuries he sustained on the 2nd of june 05 while in the care and custody of the gardai at store st garda station Dublin 1.
For three long months Terence Wheelock fought for his life in intensive care at the mater hospital.
Finally his family made the distressing and tough discision to turn the machine off.

One year on from his death the family are organizing a public protest 16/09/06 2.30pm sean mcdermot st church, to highlight the many unanswered and disturbing aspects of this tragic case.
In that year the family has suffered intimidation, harrasment, and assaults by gardai in there own home at summerhill D1.
Also in the year 16 months after the appaling injuries terence suffered. the extent of these injuries are only coming to light,
they are consistent with a severe beating, defence marks and blunt trauma to the brain, also bruise's to his back and legs are consistent with some sort of assault and all correspond at time of arrest.

To date the Gardai have failed to answer any of the disturbing questions surrounding terence arrest and detention and subsequent death.

Why was the cell renovated immediately after terence removal, dispite a court order by a solicitor to inspect the cell.

Why did it take 10 mins {by gardai's own admission} to ring emergency services.

Why want the gardai return terence clothes to his family?

why where there bruises on his body and severe brain injurie consistent with blunt trauma?

Why were the family driven across the city to the wrong hospital?

Why was the custody record doctored and intervered with?

Why was terence found in a hallway of the station and not in the cell by emergency services?

To date none of these questions have been elaborated on, nor explained.
The gardai did release a press release but none of its content explains how terence manage to bore through solid concrete with his bare hands,
in what gardai themselves call suicide safe cells.
Nor those it answer or explain any of the above questions in to this deeply disturbing death, furthermore the press release contents elaborate on the damage to a car and property, something terence wheelock was never charged with. This has failed the family.
Has raised more questions than answers and has severly damaged the gardai's reputation in the area and the wider community as a whole.
In that year it has also been revealed that the internal garda investigation, by a so called independent investigar namely Garda Oliver Hanley who himselve served 15 years at store st.
Has had TWO roles in this case. For the last 16 months he has objected to the release through the courts of terence wheelocks clothes to the family it is quite strange why he is doing this. The family want them independently tested. The withholding of these clothes has held the inquest up and caused futher hearthache to the family the gardai have been quite callous and cold towards the family garda oliver hanley never consulted the family with regard to his independent investigation.
Amazingly it has come to light in the coroners court, that terence clothes HAVE NOT been test by the state forensic lab at the pheonix park.
Instead what has come to light is they have not even been properly or securely stored, instead they have sat in a garda locker at blackrock garda station for 15 months and have not to date been tested.
The more reason why these clothes should be released to the family for tests as contamination could easily occur outside a lab.
The Family are holding a peaceful protest on the first anniversery of terence death, and are calling on the local and wider community to support them in there hour of need for the establishment of an independent inquiry to asertain the facts and properly investigate this suspicious and disturbing death of a young man (20) in the custody and care of the the states police force the Gardai.
They will be meeting at lourdes church on sean mcdermot st. ON SATURDAY 16th OF SEPTEMBER 06 AT 2:30 PM. A MARCH IS BEEN ORGANIZED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS CASE AND A CALL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INQUIRY THE MARCH WILL PROCEED TO STORE ST GARDA STATION. LOCAL TDS WILL ADDRESS THE RALLY. ALL ARE WELCOME TO THIS PEACEFUL AND DIGNIFIED PROTEST. THANK YOU