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Inquest Hears How Garda Shot Jastine Valdez's Killer

The inquest has re-opened into the death of the man who abducted and killed 24-year-old student Jast...
Newsroom
Newsroom

2:50 PM - 21 Jan 2020



Inquest Hears How Garda Shot J...

News

Inquest Hears How Garda Shot Jastine Valdez's Killer

Newsroom
Newsroom

2:50 PM - 21 Jan 2020



The inquest has re-opened into the death of the man who abducted and killed 24-year-old student Jastine Valdez in May 2018.

Jastine Valdez was kidnapped after she got off a bus in Enniskerry in Wicklow on May 19th, 2018.

Mark Hennessy from Bray grabbed her, and bundled her into his car – she later died of asphyxia.

The 40-year-old was shot dead by Gardaí on May 20th, and Ms Valdez's body was found the next day in Rathmichael, Co Dublin.

The inquest into Mark Hennessy’s death has reopened, where the jury was shown various CCTV footage, including clips of his car following the bus Jastine was travelling on.

A deposition from Mark Hennessy’s wife was read to the jury, in which she says she spoke to him the following morning at 8am after he hadn't come home, and he told her he had slept on the seafront and said: “I’m not coming home. Sorry I love you.”.

A civil defence volunteer told the inquest he saw a Garda shoot him as he sat in his car.

James Magee told the inquest he saw a blade in Mark Hennessy's hand, and witnessed him harming himself.

The jury heard he then saw Mark Hennessy appear to reach down in his car for something, before the Garda fired a shot through the vehicle's window.

He told the inquest he witnessed the Garda return to his car to get his medical gear, and place his gun on the ground.

The Garda who shot him won't face criminal charges while the names of officers involved in his death won't be published.

The jury at Jastine Valdez’s inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing.

 



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Jastine Valdez Killer

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