Shotgun Suspect Dies Despite Suicide Watch

Although subject to a 'suicide watch' regime that meant prison staff checked on him every 15 minutes while he was in his jail cell, a suspected shotgun killer has hanged himself soon after a court appearance.

An internal investigation into his death by the Irish Prison Service will now determine whether he remained under observation yesterday while he was in the holding cell.

Mr Rogers was brought directly to the holding area after a court appearance and was found hanged from a light fitting when a prison officer checked on him at 12.50pm.

Shane Rogers had been on suicide watch after warning last week that he could not live with himself following his arrest by Gardaí investigating the murder of Crossmaglen GAA club star James Hughes.

Mr Rogers (32) was found dead by prison staff in a holding cell at Cloverhill courthouse in west Dublin at lunchtime, shortly after he had been remanded in custody until next month.

He had earlier been taken from his prison cell in the adjoining Cloverhill jail and brought through a tunnel to appear in the district court on a charge of murdering Mr Hughes (35), whom he regarded as a love rival.

Mr Hughes was hit by two blasts from a double barrelled shotgun as he was dropping a female friend home after a night out.

The victim had been sitting in a taxi with his friend, Patricia Byrne (21) outside her home at the quiet Cluain Ard, Lis na Dara estate, at Carrick Road, Dundalk, shortly before 4am on Sunday week.

The suspected killer is reported to have said: "I am sorry for what I did. I cannot live with myself for doing this."

The Co Monaghan man had been on suicide watch since he was remanded to Cloverhill prison last week when Judge Flann Brennan directed that he receive medical and psychiatric attention.

See: GAA Star's Murder Recalled In Court

(BMcC)