LAST UPDATE | 28 mins ago

A JURY HAS returned a narrative verdict in the inquest of George Nkencho.

The jury deliberated for around four hours before returning its verdict summarising the events that led to Mr Nkencho’s death in west Dublin in December 2020.

The jury also made a number of recommendations in relation to gardaí, including in relation to body-worn cameras.

Mr Nkencho, 27, the eldest of five siblings, died after being shot by gardai outside his home.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane thanked the jury and expressed her condolences to the Nkencho family, who were present at the Dublin District Coroner’s Court for the length of the three-week inquest.

“It’s hoped that these proceedings clarified certain facts for the family and for the public more broadly,” she said.

“However, George’s death remains a deep and tragic loss for your family and I offer you my very deepest condolences on that loss.”

Dr Cullinane had told the jury there were two verdicts available to them, death by misadventure and the narrative verdict.

She said a narrative verdict was a “neutral” account of the “multi-factorial” circumstances of the event.

Dr Cullinane added that a narrative verdict could arise if the jury decides the evidence is “complex and multi-factorial, with many issues arising together with those together being significant contributors to the cause of death”.

“The narrative verdict provides for a neutral account of the details of the circumstances surrounding the death, and a jury may, in that way, record a more expansive account than is provided for by way of the short form verdict.”

She added that the inquest was not a trial, but was a fact-finding exercise where they would be the arbiters of fact and she would guide them on the law.

She said that it was “impermissible” at the coroner’s court to decide whether a person is liable, either criminally or civilly, for another person’s death.

Emmanuel Nkencho, brother of George Nkencho. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Speaking outside Dublin District Coroner’s Court, the brother of George Nkencho has said they hoped the outcome of the inquest into his death would lead to “meaningful change”.

Emmanuel Nkencho said the family were grateful to the coroner and said the last three weeks had been “a very tough time” for the family as they had to “relive the trauma” of the day their eldest brother died.

“Today represents some form of closure for my family,” he said.

At the end of the day, my brother shouldn’t have died. We hope that this inquest leads to meaningful change and that this never happens to another family again.

They expressed their thanks to the coroner, the jury and to those who had supported them.

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The incident was the subject of an independent criminal investigation by a Garda oversight body, which concluded in June 2023 with the submission of an investigative file to the director of public prosecutions.

A decision was made not to pursue any criminal prosecution in relation to the shooting.

The inquest heard from shop workers and customers who described seeing Mr Nkencho punch an assistant manager at a Eurospar in Hartstown, and members of the public in the shop that day.

The jury also heard evidence from Mr Nkencho’s mother, Blessing, and his brothers and sisters, some of whom were in the family home when the scene unfolded outside.

They also heard from members of the public who witnessed the incident outside the Nkencho home and were shown a mobile phone video taken by a passer-by as well as transcripts from emergency calls.

Gardaí told the inquest of their interactions with Mr Nkencho as he walked home, and told the inquest how he had waved a knife towards them and that they feared for their lives.

The Garda who shot Mr Nkencho, referred to as Garda A at the inquest, said they believed they would be killed if they did not use lethal force.

A state pathologist told the inquest Mr Nkencho had been shot six times – identifying one of the wounds as “definitely” fatal as it pierced the heart and lung, but said others were also “quite significant”.

Dr Cullinane said that the law does not allow for a verdict of unlawful killing in this inquest, which is only permitted in “very restricted circumstances”, where there is a view that the law had been broken “in a serious fashion”.

She said the director of public prosecutions had decided that no criminal proceedings would be brought in relation to Mr Nkencho’s death, and as there was no new evidence heard at the inquest, “it’s not open to you members of jury to come to a different conclusion, by bringing in a verdict containing implied criminal liability of a potentially identifiable person.”