Inquest reveals homeless man's death linked to prone restraint and drug use
An inquest in Dublin concluded that Yves Sakila died from cardio-respiratory arrest after being held face-down by security staff, with drug intoxication and obesity also contributing.
The Dublin District Coroner’s Court opened an inquest into the May 15 death of Yves Sakila, a 34-year-old homeless man from the Democratic Republic of Congo living in a Salvation Army hostel. After security staff at Arnotts detained him for an alleged perfume theft, he was restrained face-down and later became unresponsive, dying shortly after arrival at Mater Misericordiae University Hospital. State pathologist SallyAnne Collis reported that cardio-respiratory arrest, prone restraint, mixed drug intoxication, a raised body-mass index and schizophrenia contributed to his death.
The hearing highlighted family disputes over burial, with separate lawyers representing his step-mother Angel Issemezey in Ireland and his birth mother in Kinshasa. Solicitor John Gerard Cullen pressed for a jury inquest and labeled the case a death-in-custody, which the coroner rejected as premature. Detective Inspector Ken Hoare sought a six-month adjournment as criminal proceedings are considered, and an independent probe by Fiosrú is underway.
Why it matters
The case raises concerns about the use of prone restraint and the treatment of vulnerable individuals by security personnel.
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