A verdict of unlawful killing has been returned by the jury at the inquest in Castlebar today into the deaths of Eoghan and Ruairi Chada.
The boys, aged ten and five, were murdered by their father Sanjeev Chada (44 ) at Skehanagh Lower, Ballintubber, in July 2013.
Witness statements from 16 people were heard during the course of the inquest at Castlebar Courthouse.
The boys' mother, Kathleen, attended the proceedings.
Coroner for South Mayo John O'Dwyer told the jury at the end of the proceedings that he believed the only appropriate verdict could be unlawful killing.
The inquest heard a number of locals and holidaymakers came across a single vehicle crash, shortly after 3 pm, on July 29 2013, at Clooneen, Rosbeg, Westport.
One witness, Sean Foy from Murrisk, who was one of the first people to come upon the crash, said he saw a green Ford Focus had collided straight into a wall.
He opened the driver's door and saw the driver had a blue rope with a knot in it around his neck. He appeared to be trying to choke himself.
Mr Foy struggled with the driver and managed to get the rope off him.
Witnesses at the scene then discovered the boys in the boot of the car.
Garda Brian Kilkelly, who was first to respond to the call, said that when he cautioned Chada at the scene and asked him what had happened, Chada told him he had driven from Bagnelstown the night before and spent the night in a laneway near the Abbey with the children. He said he killed the boys at 5 am that morning.
Chada told Garda Kilkelly he loved them so much. When Garda Kilkelly asked him why he did this happen, he responded "money" and told the garda he had "ruined everything".
Details of the post morten report put the cause of the death of 10-year-old Eoghan Chada as ligature strangulation and blunt force trauma to the head. The cause of the death of Ruairi Chada was ligature strangulation.
