Victim of fatal fall was visiting America

Martin Lenaghan, 27, had been saving up for months for his dream vacation, a way to get out of suburban Belfast and leave the doldrums of his government job in the planning office.

So 10 weeks ago, he came to the United States, home of his favorite wrestler, Hulk Hogan, and the band he loved, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, with plans to visit friends in Boston, watch baseball, and see family in New York.

On Saturday night, he found himself in a neighborhood in Brighton, drinking with friends at a house party. In the early hours of the morning, police believe, he began wandering the streets and got disoriented.

Seeing a house that looked similar to the one he just left, police believe he tried to enter, climbing up a spiral staircase that for months had been on the city's radar as a safety hazard.

Apparently, though, the city never ordered it to come down or made sure that it was secured. Shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday, it came loose, and Lenaghan fell to his death.

``It's a great loss," said his father, Michael, 51, in a telephone interview from Northern Ireland. ``He was a generous, kind person. He was well loved."

The homeowner, Michael F. Grant Jr., 35, was served yesterday with a violation for not properly securing the metal spiral staircase at his home at 89 Dustin St.

Inspectors also ordered Grant to remove the staircase, which was gone yesterday.

Grant installed the staircase as part of a broader renovation of the house. He had obtained a permit from the city to replace the existing roof and vinyl siding in July 2004.

But, according to city inspectors, Grant also began doing work in the attic, planning for a growing family by adding living space and height that violated city codes. He also installed the staircase from ground level to the third floor.

A city inspector ordered work to stop on the site in May or June, citing violations of the zoning code and concerns about the staircase, according to Lisa Timberlake, spokeswoman for the Inspectional Services Department.

Grant requested a hearing before the Zoning Board of Appeal to appeal the ruling.

Inspectors visited the house eight times in June and July, at one point asking Grant to install a lock on the third-floor door to prevent anyone from leaving the house and descending the staircase. Timberlake said she did not know whether inspectors ordered Grant to block access from the ground to prevent people from climbing the staircase.

Timberlake could not say whether inspectors ordered Grant to remove the staircase or make it more secure.

The last time inspectors were at the property was July 12.

``It's a tragic accident," Timberlake said. ``But the owner knew from the very beginning that he needed a permit."

``He was doing a lot of work without the proper permits," she added. ``He knew that he was in violation."

Grant declined to comment yesterday. Patrick Geraghty, a lawyer who is acting as the family spokesman, said Grant did nothing wrong.

``This isn't a case of a landlord keeping a property in an unsafe manner," said Geraghty. ``This is a homeowner trying to renovate his house."

Geraghty said Grant acknowledges that he ``raced ahead of what his permit allowed," but said he was unable to remedy issues with the staircase because the city ordered him to halt construction work.

Elaine Driscoll, a police spokeswoman, said police concluded that it was ``a tragic accident" and are not pursuing criminal charges. Police are continuing to investigate.

Meanwhile, Michael Lenaghan and his family are making funeral arrangements for the son he had once expected to return in two weeks.

``I've got to get my son home and bury him," he said. ``That's our main priority."

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.