DUBLIN, Ireland: A coroner has delivered a narrative verdict into the death of hotel chef James Kailedzi, who was found dead at his Dublin apartment two days after an altercation with security staff outside a city-centre bar.

Kailedzi, 31, originally from Malawi, was discovered unresponsive at his home on Hatch Street, Dublin 2, on March 25, 2023, by friends who went to check on him. A postmortem examination concluded he died from a traumatic blunt force head injury.

The Dublin District Coroner's Court heard that Kailedzi had been out with friends on March 23 at the Pygmalion bar on the corner of Coppinger Row and William Street South. One friend, Arthur Bradford, was refused entry. Bradford said security staff followed them and grabbed Kailedzi, leading to a scuffle in which the chef fell to the ground and briefly lost consciousness.

After regaining consciousness, Kailedzi insisted on walking home alone. Bradford told the inquest his friend appeared "a bit drowsy," which he attributed to alcohol. When repeated calls went unanswered the following day, Bradford and others went to Kailedzi's flat, where they found him dead.

Another witness, Reo Odirile, said both Kailedzi and Bradford had been "quite aggressive," and he saw security staff "pushing" them towards South William Street. He recalled Kailedzi "swinging" at a guard, Leonardo Santos, before seeing him on the ground. Odirile believed the security staff had "overreacted."

A written statement from eyewitness Seán Richardson described seeing Kailedzi fall "like somebody who got knocked out at the UFC" after Santos pushed him, causing him to hit his head on a pole.

Former Pygmalion guard Gabriel Manfrim told the court he had denied Bradford entry because he was barred and had previously threatened him. He said Kailedzi was asked to leave after a complaint from female patrons and that the altercation began when the pair argued with the women and security.

Manfrim said Santos pushed Kailedzi twice — the second time in self-defence when Kailedzi allegedly swung a whiskey glass at him. Santos confirmed this account, saying both pushes were of equal force and that Kailedzi later stood up and walked away.

Detective Inspector Katherina Joyce said CCTV footage showed the situation escalated only after a group of French tourists complained.

Coroner Aisling Gannon recorded a narrative verdict, citing the complexity of the case. She said she would notify Pygmalion's owners and directors about concerns regarding staff responses to patrons or non-customers during emergencies.