ENGLISH police believed Fermanagh-based gangster Cyril ‘Dublin Jimmy’ McGuinness was having a panic attack when he became distressed during a raid on his Derbyshire home, the inquest into his death has heard.
McGuinness suffered a heart attack in November 2019 in Buxton, while in handcuffs as police searched his home as part of the investigation into the kidnap and torture of Mannok director Kevin Lunney. He was taken to hospital in Stockport and died shortly afterwards.
Known as Dublin Jimmy across the border area, he was being investigated at the time for his role in the attack on Mr Lunney in September 2019. Gardai in the South later revealed they believed he had planned the abduction.
The inquest into McGuinness’ death concluded at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court this week.
On the final day of the inquest a police officer told the coroner’s court McGuinness had been detained upstairs, having still been in bed when officers arrived at 7am, and was then escorted to the kitchen in handcuffs.
The officer’s statement said McGuinness then sat and watched TV, before requesting to go outside for some fresh air and requesting his inhaler. The officer asked another member of the search team to call an ambulance.
“I told him to calm down and relax as it appeared to me that he was having a panic attack,” said the officer.
It also heard officers carried out CPR on McGuinness before the ambulance arrived.
The inquest had previously heard McGuinness had no marks on his body to suggest that officers had used excessive restraint during the police search. A medical expert also told the court McGuinness had a history of heart disease.
The inquest ruled McGuinness passed away of natural causes.
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