A detective Garda shot dead in Castlerea over two years ago sustained a total of 11 wounds to his body.
State Pathologist Linda Mulligan outlined details of her post mortem on the body of Colm Horkan at the trial of a Mayo man who is accused of his capital murder .
On the 17th of June 2020, Colm Horkan was shot 11 times following an altercation with Stephen Silver. Mr Silver, a motorbike mechanic from Foxford County Mayo has pleaded guilty to manslaughter due to diminished responsibility of Detective Horkan, but denies a charge of capital murder. State Pathologist, Dr Linda Mulligan today outlined the medical evidence following a post-mortem examination and described how Detective Horkan suffered 11 gun shot wounds to his abdomen, neck, arm and leg which caused severe damage to his heart, liver and lungs as well multiple fractures of the ribs, arm bone and vertebrae.
The court also heard that bruising around the eye and temple of Colm Horkan was the result of a blow with the butt of a pistol by Stephen Silver. According to Dr. Mulligan, shots six and seven caused the fatal damage, branding them as unsurvivable, with the official cause of death recorded as multiple gun shot wounds. During the course of the exam, three projectiles identified during post mortem radiology scans were removed and the bullets were taken by a member of the Garda technical Bureau as evidence. The trial continues this afternoon.
