Tragic Fall After Psychiatric Discharge: Inquest Hears Concerns Over Care of Young Somali Man in Dublin

 A 21-year-old Somali man suffered fatal injuries after falling from a fourth-floor apartment in Dublin, just days after being discharged from a psychiatric hospital. The incident occurred moments after he had spoken to Gardaí, a Dublin District Coroner’s Court inquest has heard.

Hassan Mohammad Osman, a resident of Hampton Wood Point, Finglas, died at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital on September 29, 2021, three days after the fall. The inquest revealed that Mr. Osman had been involuntarily admitted to St Vincent’s Hospital, Fairview, in August 2021 for a relapse of paranoid schizophrenia, but was discharged on September 20 after showing signs of improvement.

Concerns were raised by Mr. Osman’s family during the inquest, particularly over a lack of communication regarding his earlier expression of suicidal thoughts upon admission. They said they had not been informed about the severity of his condition, and questioned the level of supervision in the final moments of his life.

Gardaí were called to the apartment complex shortly after midnight on September 26 by a local resident who had observed a man standing on a window sill. Upon arrival, Garda Diarmuid Murphy encountered Mr. Osman at the building’s entrance. Although visibly confused, Mr. Osman remained calm during the interaction. While accompanying him to his room, Garda Murphy noted troubling remarks including: “I am God. I must die,” which he described as “alarming.”

Despite these concerns, Garda Murphy said he allowed Mr. Osman to go to bed, believing the immediate risk had passed. Minutes later, shouts were heard from the kitchen — Mr. Osman had fallen from the balcony. Garda Murphy admitted during the inquest that, in retrospect, he had wrongly assumed “the worst was over,” and acknowledged limitations in the training Gardaí receive in handling acute mental health situations.

Dr. Prosper Obioha, the consultant psychiatrist who treated Mr. Osman, testified that the young man had expressed suicidal thoughts during his initial admission on August 24, but denied such ideation later in his hospital stay. Dr. Obioha confirmed that Mr. Osman was not experiencing psychosis at the time of discharge and was released under the condition that he continue his medication and abstain from cannabis use. He also cited patient confidentiality as the reason Mr. Osman’s family had not been informed of earlier suicidal ideation.

Mr. Osman’s sister, Nima Osman, delivered a moving tribute, describing her brother as one of the bravest people she had known, but “trapped in depression and darkness.” She called for greater mental health awareness, particularly regarding the "heartbreakingly high" rates of suicide among young men in Ireland. Ms. Osman also voiced frustration that her brother had not been more closely monitored by Gardaí, especially given the warning signs.

Ms. Osman also described episodes in which her brother heard voices, including one that told him to become “a ninja.” She recalled growing concern about his worsening condition but felt her warnings were not taken seriously enough, particularly in contrast to some family members who attributed his behaviour to spiritual causes.

Their mother, Nurrto Abdikadir Ahmed, told the court that Hassan had been her “favourite child,” recalling how he lost a leg at the age of four in Somalia due to a shooting. She said the events of that night happened “in the blink of an eye,” but absolved Gardaí of blame, telling the court: “My son has gone and he’s not coming back.”

Liam Hickey, an officer with Fiosrú – the Office of the Police Ombudsman – said an investigation found no breach of protocol by Gardaí during their brief eight-minute interaction with Mr. Osman. He noted the absence of clear guidelines for such situations, stating it was left to individual officers to use their judgement.

Coroner Dr. Cróna Gallagher returned a verdict of self-inflicted death but stopped short of declaring suicide, citing uncertainty over Mr. Osman’s capacity to form such intent due to his mental health history.

“This was an extremely sad and tragic case,” Dr. Gallagher said, offering her condolences to the grieving family.