Rape suspect ‘killed himself with mole poison’ after being arrested

A RAPE suspect is thought to have taken a dose of “mole poison” and died hours after he was detained by police, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.

Gerard McNally vomited and “lost control of his faculties” after he was taken into custody.

It is believed he died from deliberately taking a pest control poison known as Phostoxin, which his daughter said he kept in a cupboard in his kitchen.

The FAI before Sheriff Margaret Neilson is examining the circumstances of the death of McNally, 48, of The Riggs, Fort Augustus, who died in Raigmore Hospital, Inverness on Friday 13 August, 2010, just two and a half hours after being detained by Northern Constabulary.

Det Constable Deborah Doherty said her colleagues, Det Sgt Eddie Ross and Det Constable Muriel Fuller, took Mr McNally to Inverness police station.

She said: “I got a phone call from DC Fuller saying that Mr McNally wasn’t well and to look for any medication he might need. My colleague went back to his house and returned with a spray for angina.

“Then we got another call from DC Fuller mentioning something about poison. There was an indication that the suspect had said he had taken poison.

“Sgt Andrew Blakely returned to his house and brought back a container. I spoke to a doctor at Raigmore Hospital and gave her what information I could from the canister which contained tablets. I heard later that Mr McNally had died.”

Det Sgt Eddie Ross said that McNally knew he was under investigation for sex offences.

He said: “We arrived with the search warrant I then went with him to his bedroom so he could get more clothes and searched him to make sure he didn’t have anything which could harm him or us.

“He wanted a cup of tea but we didn’t have time. But we said he could have a glass of water and he and DC Fuller went into the kitchen. He was away less than a minute.

“We then took him out into the police car and handcuffed him because he didn’t want to be seen being led away in handcuffs.

“I spoke to him in the vehicle but three or four minutes later, he started to slur his words and sweat. His complexion changed. Then he stopped talking altogether, and gestured that he wanted me to open the window so he could be sick.

“We stopped at a lay-by where he was sick – but not profusely. Then we carried on to Drumnadrochit where he indicated he needed to go to the toilet.”

DS Ross then told fiscal depute Heather Swan that McNally collapsed in the toilet of Inverness police station and he asked for an ambulance to be called.

He said: “He had lost control of his faculties and his functions but was able to answer questions. When the paramedics arrived, they checked him over and said they were extremely concerned because he had a powdery substance on his bottom lip and they thought he had taken something.

“When Mr McNally was put into the ambulance I told him he should tell the medical staff what he had taken. I was at the hospital and a lot of staff were working on him. I knew he was extremely ill. I knew at some point then that he told staff that he had taken something like a mole-killer.”

The hearing continues.