A WOMAN who had been drinking on a Christmas night out died from hypothermia after falling just yards from her front door, a coroner’s court heard yesterday.
Rose Whelan (52), Ardmore Terrace, Ballybeg in Waterford city, suffered injuries when she fell on the path outside her front door following a night out that began on December 19th, 2009. Ms Whelan died just days after her 52nd birthday.
State pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy told the Coroner’s Court in Waterford yesterday that the woman’s death was primarily due to hypothermia. The blood trail found at the scene suggested that the deceased woman tried to get up and failed, said Prof Cassidy.
Ms Whelan was likely to have had an alcohol level of 390 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood and had taken a tranquilliser, said Prof Cassidy.
Amy O’Grady, a niece of the deceased, said she attended a Christmas party at the Tower Hotel with her mother Christine on December 19th.
She expected Ms Whelan would attend this party but her aunt had to attend another function and did not show up. Ms O’Grady texted Ms Whelan who did not reply but later she received a missed call from her at about 1.30am on December 20th.
Ms O’Grady could hear laughing and talking in the background. When she did make contact with her aunt, she learned that she was not able to gain access to the party.
Sgt Larry Sheahan, a scene of crime investigator, said that he found blood on the driveway of the woman’s house and there was frost on the ground.
She was on her right hand side, while her mobile phone, her handbag and keys were beside her. There was a small pool of blood under her head and she was “extremely cold and hypothermic”.
