No prosecution over Swedish House Mafia gig death

Coroner hears gardai not pursuing case over death of Shane Brophy

A photograph posted to Intsagram by Steve Angello from  Swedish House Mafia of  the band’s Phoenix Park concert.
A photograph posted to Intsagram by Steve Angello from Swedish House Mafia of the band’s Phoenix Park concert.

Niamh O’Donoghue

There will be no prosecution in the case of a 21-year-old man who died just hours after he attended the Swedish House Mafia concert in the Phoenix Park in Dublin last year.

Shane Brophy from the Swan, Fairymount, Crettyard, Co Laois, died at his friend's house in Lucan on July 8th, 2012 hours after the concert.

Mr Brophy was taken to hospital in Blanchardstown, where failed attempts were made to resuscitate him but he died from the toxic effects of a combination of cocaine and ecstasy.

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Last February, Insp John Burke of Blanchardstown Garda station told Dublin District Coroner’s Court the Garda inquiry into Mr Brophy’s death was at a “pretty advanced stage”.

He told coroner Dr Brian Farrell there were still inquiries to be carried out and "people to be interviewed and re-interviewed", he said.

But today, Insp Deirdre Gill told the court there would be "no prosecution" in the case and made an application for a date for an inquest hearing. Dr Farrell adjourned the inquest until October 31th next after members of the deceased's family agreed to attend court on that date.

At the opening of the inquest into his death last February, Adrian Brophy, brother of the deceased, gave evidence that he identified the body to gardaí at the emergency department of the hospital. Mr Brophy was the youngest of eight brothers and sisters.

Giving the cause of death, Dr Farrell said the toxicology report carried out as part of the postmortem indicated Mr Brophy had used cocaine and an “ecstasy-type drug”.

He described the levels in the dead man’s system as being “significant” but told the family that both cocaine and ecstasy could be toxic regardless of the dose taken.

Mr Brophy died from the toxic effects of a combination of cocaine and ecstasy, he said.