Family claim Gardai hid evidence in Terence Wheelock’s death in custody

Terence Wheelock (20) was found unconscious in a cell in Store Street Garda Station and died three months later.

Terence died on 16th September 2005 at the Mater Hospital after three months in a coma.

On 2nd June 2005, Wheelock was arrested after speaking to his friends while standing on the street while they were in a stolen car in Dublin's inner city.

The Garda Síochána say they found the young father with a ligature around his neck, indicating he hung himself with a string from his tracksuit bottoms secured to a fixture which sunk into the wall.

His cell was completely renovated and repainted rather than being preserved after the incident.

Photos show substantial evidence of bruising and cuts that were not on Terence's body when he was arrested and were not recorded as being there. His clothes were heavily bloodstained, changes were made to his custody record and there were also significant problems with the timeframe between the supposed incident and an ambulance being called.

An independent forensic expert has said that blood on the clothes is not consistent with Terence hanging himself.

A forensic pathologist from Britain, Dr Carl Gray concluded that the blood on the clothing was a result of some sort of trauma.

The family also note that in the GSOC inquiry that followed was led by a former Garda who had previously worked, not at the time of the death, at Store Street Garda station.

Sammy Wheelock, head of the justice campaign and brother of Terence says his younger brother ran from Gardai because "when you come from that one of those communities, if you wear a tracksuit, you're presumed guilty, even if you're innocent."

"Witnesses around saw him being like viciously manhandled, being arrested, his head being banged off a door as he was being put into the van," Sammy told JOE.

"They (Gardai) over the years they've given three different reasons (for the hanging). One was with the shoelaces of his shoes, one was with the waistband of his tracksuit, and one was with a cable tie.

"I believe he passed in that cell.

"He had injuries all over his body, knees, back. Most of them looked like defensive wounds from his lower back to his front of his hands, his knees. Some were on his sides, some were on his lower part of his legs. Now they just didn't randomly appear. My family fervently believe that he was beaten to a pulp in that cell. He had a blunt force trauma to his head as well. So where did all this take place?"

A rally for Terence and a new inquest is being held at the GPO on Saturday at 3pm, and the public are encouraged to attend.

"I've had a no contact from Fine Gael or Fianna Fail, it has always been People for Profit, Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, and various other independents," Sammy added.

"Everybody knows the truth. Everybody knows what happened here to Terence."
After the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission investigated the allegations, the Garda Commissioner at the time Fachtna Murphy said:

“I note the Ombudsman Commission’s conclusion that there is no evidence to support allegations that Mr. Wheelock was assaulted or mistreated during his arrest or in custody and that the allegation that he was sexually assaulted during his detention is wholly without foundation in evidence.

The Ombudsman Commission has made a number of findings and recommendations regarding the presence of ligature suspension points in cells and the process required to ensure prisoners do not have access to ligatures while in custody. A number of the actions recommended are already being progressed by An Garda Síochána and are the subject of ongoing work.”