DNA samples from a relative had to be used to help formally identify a woman who suffered a violent death in her home on Dublin’s northside earlier this year, an inquest has heard.
The body of Maud Coffey (41) was discovered in her apartment in the Horizon Building, Royal Canal Park, Ashtown, Dublin 15 on January 13th this year.
A preliminary hearing of the inquest into her death at Dublin District Coroner’s Court on Wednesday heard post-mortem results showed Ms Coffey died as a result of a combination of asphyxia from a ligature around her neck and blunt force injuries and wounds inflicted with a sharp object.
The dead woman’s sister, Breffní Coffey, fought back tears as she gave evidence of providing gardaí with a DNA sample in order to confirm the identity of the deceased.
The coroner, Clare Keane, said the results of an analysis by the State’s Forensic Science Laboratory of DNA samples taken from both the victim and Ms Coffey showed they were 190,000 times more likely to be close family relatives than unrelated to each other.
Detective Inspector Michael McKenna applied for an open-ended adjournment of the inquest under the Coroners Act on the basis that criminal proceedings have been instituted in the case.
“A prosecution is under way,” said Det Insp McKenna.
Dr Keane granted the application and adjourned the hearing until a date after criminal proceedings in relation to Ms Coffey’s death have concluded.
Austin Mangan (50) with an address in Dublin 9, was formally charged with Ms Coffey’s murder when he appeared before a sitting of Dublin District Court on January 15th, 2023.
The accused, who was known to the deceased, was arrested a few hours after her body was discovered.
He was detained under the Mental Health Act after passengers waiting at a bus stop became concerned about his behaviour and alerted gardaí.
The court heard he made no reply when questioned and charged at Finglas Garda Station in relation to Ms Coffey’s death.
Pedestrian death
Meanwhile, the coroner’s court has heard that the garda investigation into the death of a pedestrian following a collision with a motorcycle in Dublin city centre last year has been completed.
Marie Farragher Pollard (62) a retired nurse and married mother of three from Bruckey, Castlegar, Co Galway suffered fatal injuries after being struck by the motorcycle at around 10.40am at the junction of Eden Quay and Beresford Place, Dublin 1 on November 9th, 2022.
She died two days later at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital in Dublin at 3.35pm on November 11th, 2022.
Ms Farragher Pollard, who previously worked as a staff nurse in University Hospital Galway for many years, had travelled to Dublin to attend an exhibition.
Her husband, Tom Pollard gave evidence of formally identifying his wife’s body.
Dr Keane said post-mortem results showed the victim had died as a result of a traumatic head injury.
Det Insp McKenna applied for a six-month adjournment of the inquest as criminal proceedings in the case were being considered.
He explained that the garda investigation into Ms Farragher Pollard’s death was completed, but investigators were still awaiting finalisation of the forensic collision report into the fatal incident.
The coroner agreed to adjourn the proceedings until a date in December to allow time for the DPP to consider whether a criminal prosecution should follow based on the garda file on the case.
