Death By Misadventure Verdict After Prank Goes Wrong

A man was run over by a car after jumping on the bonnet while "acting the goat", an inquest heard.

28-year-old Liam ‘Bill’ Stafford died after falling under the car and being dragged along the road. He later suffered a cardiac arrest.

The prank went wrong when the car pulled off because the people inside were scared and panicked, the coroner was told.

Dublin Coroners Court heard that Mr Stafford, from Drinagh Park in Ballyogan, south Dublin, was not aware that there was anyone in the car when he jumped on the bonnet.

Mr Stafford had been on his way to his mother's house after a night out with friends when the incident happened at Clonard Lawns in Sandyford in the early hours of November 8, 2009.

Mr Stafford and friends James Clarke and Andrew Nolan had returned from a night out. Their taxi driver said he could tell they had been drinking and were lively, but that they were not "out of it".

Mr Nolan described seeing Stafford and Clarke run down a hill and jump on a black-and-white limo parked on the side of the road.

Clarke was on the roof and Stafford was on the bonnet.

Clarke recelled that they were not aware that anyone was in the car at the time.

The car suddenly drove off and travelled more than 30 metres. Stafford clung to the bonnet before falling under and being dragged along the road.

He suffered a cardiac arrest on his way to St Vincent's Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem found he died as a result of multiple injuries, particularly severe chest injuries

The driver and co-owner of the limo, Dara O'Sullivan (22), told the court that he was inside with three friends when they saw the two men approaching.

"They were obviously very drunk and I was very scared and intimidated. They were bigger and older than us. We were all scared in the car. We all just panicked," he said.

The court heard that someone in the car shouted "floor it" but O'Sullivan said that he did not hear that, but he put his foot on the accelerator.

Speaking from the body of the court, Stafford's partner Liosa McNamara asked the witness if he had driven the car before. It was untaxed. O'Sullivan declined to answer.

After a garda investigation, O'Sullivan had been charged with dangerous driving causing death, but was acquitted at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Sergeant Robert Lackey told coroner Brian Farrell that it appeared to be a case of a prank that had been misunderstood.

"The persons in the car said they felt threatened while the lads approaching the car were just acting the goat," he said.

The jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure.

(H)