Postmortem reveals Ballina man died in Africa from poisoning

Anton McNulty

A BALLINA man who died in an African country in April may have died as a result of poisoning and not from malaria as first suspected.
Terry Martin Collins (71), known as Ted, died in the landlocked country of Malawi in south-eastern Africa. At the time, it was deduced that he had died from malaria. However, Mr Collins’s family has always suspected this verdict, and their suspicions have now been confirmed by a postmortem that has found that he died from poisoning.
According to reports in The Daily Mirror, authorities in Malawi have since arrested a woman who they suspect was involved in the incident that led to Mr Collin’s death. It is believed that Mr Collins’s death was due to a poison called Temik, a carbamate compound that is most commonly used for killing pests and vermin.
Ted Collins’s granddaughter, Marie Cleary, has appealed to Irish Embassy authorities to help her family get justice for her grandfather.
“Ted was a loving, caring man who didn’t deserve to die like he did. He deserves justice, and that’s what I am trying to get him,” she told The Daily Mirror.
“He was in Malawi because he wanted to help the local people. He had owned a coal and furniture business in Ballina and wanted to help the people. We are all devastated and want to find answers.”
It is understood that the Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance.
Mr Collins was in the southern city of Zomba when he died. He was brought home to his native Ballina and was buried in Leigue Cemetery.