A verdict of unlawful killing by a person or persons unknown was returned yesterday at an inquest on a Dublin woman who died of asphyxiation from strangulation.
The inquest at the Dublin City Coroner's Court was into the death of Ms Joan McCarthy (47) who was found dead in bed on April 11th, 1998 at the home of her daughter Ms Aisling McCarthy at Millwood Villas, Raheny, Dublin.
The inquest jury was told that she was found dead in the morning having been there baby-sitting her grand-daughter.
Her daughter and her daughter's then partner Mr Brian Farrell had come home at about 3 a.m. and Ms McCarthy was up and well. When they went in the following morning, they found her dead. The inquest also heard that Mr Farrell was charged with murder, but that a criminal trial was not proceeded with under a nolle prosequi.
Yesterday, Dr John Harbison, retired State Pathologist, said there were abrasions around her neck and chest area and two bones in her throat were fractured.
The injuries were not typical of manual strangulation or of ligature strangulation.
There was no evidence of alcohol or drugs in her system.
He said: "I came to the conclusion that she died from asphyxia due to strangulation due to compression at the front of the neck by pressure from object or objects unknown or pressure by the neck against an object or objects unknown to the best of my knowledge."
The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell asked if the findings therefore implied a third party strangulation.
Dr Harbison replied: "I regret they do, coroner."
Mr Michael Finucane, solicitor for the McCarthy family, questioned the toxicology tests on the absence of alcohol.
Dr Harbison said that was a ferocious allegation to make. He added that at the post-mortem there also would have been a smell of alcohol.
Mr Finucane said that there was a suggestion that Ms McCarthy had drunk some Bacardi as there was a bottle there half empty.
Dr Harbison said the results were negative. He said that he had also excluded that Ms McCarthy fell and hurt herself.
Det Insp William Redmond said that he was called to the hospital where Ms McCarthy was taken and he saw abrasions on her neck.
She was already dead when taken from the house.
He said he upgraded the investigation to one of murder later that night following the post-mortem report. The file into the death remained open,
Former Sgt John Cryan said he disputed some of the evidence.
Ms Aisling McCarthy said that her mother may have had one or two drinks but not half a bottle.