A sister of a 27-year-old woman who drowned in the Moy river at Foxford, Co Mayo, just before Christmas 2005, along with a man with whom she had been conducting a relationship, told an inquest yesterday that her family was not satisfied with the way the Garda Síochána had conducted the investigation into her sister's death.
Vanessa Henry was speaking after a jury at an inquest in Ballina into the death of her sister Keira Henry had returned an open verdict of death by drowning, with the consumption of a large amount of alcohol being a contributory factor.
Keira Henry, a native of Ballydrum, Swinford, was last seen walking down steps into the Moy river at Foxford bridge before midnight on December 15th, 2005. Her work colleague, Seamus McElhatton (38), with an address at The Brook, Ballina, was following her closely. Both bodies were found in the river some days later.
Ms Henry and her fiancé, Anthony Devanney, Stonehall, Foxford, and Mr McElhatton, a separated man with two children, had been involved in a "love triangle".
An inquest into Mr McElhatton's death was conducted last year. The jury then also returned an open verdict of death by drowning, with the consumption of a large amount of alcohol being a contributory factor.
Following yesterday's inquest, Vanessa Henry, who attended the hearing along with her sister Sabina and brother Terence, expressed dissatisfaction with the Garda investigation and said they would be raising the issue with the Garda Ombudsman and the European Court of Human Rights.
But suggestions that the investigation was inadequate were rejected by Supt Ken Brennan, who explained that a full investigation team had been set up when the Henry family expressed concerns about foul play. There was absolutely no evidence to suggest there was murder involved, Supt Brennan told the inquest.
Anthony Devanney told the inquest that he and Keira were engaged but had no plans for a wedding.
He told the inquest he was "mad and upset" on the night of December 15th when he found her drinking in Maloney's Bar, Foxford, with Seamus McElhatton. He told her: "That's it, we're finished."
Keira followed him up to the front bar where he was drinking. "Keira then came up and took off the ring and threw it at me. It fell on the floor. She stormed out the front door. I followed her out and said, 'Keira, we're not fighting, we're finished'. I did not listen to her. I was fed up and sick of it."
He said he had been upset when he learned the Henry family was blaming him for the death. "I loved Keira and always will," he said in a statement to gardaí.
Dr Iqdam Tobbia, the consultant pathologist who carried out the postmortem, said Ms Henry had died from suffocation due to drowning.
Dr Tobbia told counsel for the Henry family, Eamon Sherry, that if he ever suspected foul play he would have called in the State Pathologist, with or without the permission of gardaí.
The coroner, Dr Eleanor Loftus, said the inquest had not got to the bottom of what had happened but there was no evidence to suggest foul play.