Accused bled to death in prison
Mr Sarzynski died on August 26, 2014, as a result of numerous superficial cuts to his arms, a resumed inquest into his death, at Dublin Coroner’s Court, heard.
State pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, carried out an autopsy on August 27, 2014. She said the man’s entire body was coated in blood and there were three sets of cuts to his neck, right arm, and left arm.
The cuts to his upper arms severed the cephalic vein, a superficial vein just under the skin, resulting in a slow bleed, Prof Cassidy said.
“It would take a considerable amount of time for him to bleed to death,” Prof Cassidy told the court. The cuts were self-inflicted and consistent with wounds resulting from a disposable razor, Prof Cassidy said, and death was due specifically to the injuries to Mr Sarzynski’s upper arms.
Eight days before his death, Mr Sarzynski had attended Navan Courthouse, in connection with a family law matter, but he had jumped out a window at the court, 20ft above street level. He had done so during a break in the hearing. Mr Sarzynski, who was from Poland, had spoken briefly with his solicitor, before jumping up and running across the courtroom to the window. He had sustained a broken pelvis and had later told a prison officer it was a suicide attempt, not a bid to escape.
Former chaplain at Cloverhill Prison, St Margaret O’Donovan, told the court she had known the deceased since his first day in prison, in autumn 2013. She had visited him almost every day, brought him communion, and prayed with him.
“He had a very deep faith. He couldn’t reconcile with what he’d done. He had a terrible guilt,” she said.
The court heard that Mr Sarzynski asked for a razor to shave the day before he died. He was returned to Cloverhill Prison on August 26, where he was found injured in his cell, shortly after midnight. His cell was covered in blood stains. Asked about the nature of the blood stains, Prof Cassidy said they were of a smearing and dripping nature. Asked to estimate the length of time it would take for Mr Sarzynski to die of the injuries sustained, Prof Cassidy said she could not be specific.
“I’d be surprised if this had taken half an hour, I would expect it would have taken considerably longer,” she said. The cuts to his upper arms were vertical, which is unusual, according to Prof Cassidy, and measured between 4.5cm and 5cm long. The inquest continues.
