Kilmessan woman had eight times legal drink-drive limit at time of death, inquest told

A 54-year-old woman who had connections with Meath, Dundalk and Dublin who died in an incident at a house in Kilmessan had eight times the legal driving limit of alcohol in her system at the time of her death, an inquest has been told.

Deborah Thorpe (nee McCarthy), the mother of three daughters, died at Bective Walk, Bective Lodge, Kilmessan on 28th October last year. An inquest conducted by Coroner for Meath Nathaniel Lacy was told that a post mortem had been carried out by the State Pathologist, a Garda file on the death was sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions who decided that no prosecution should take place.

Garda Adam Leonard, Trim Garda Station said that at about 5.36pm he received a call about a woman (not the deceased) causing a disturbance at the Kilmessan address. When he and Garda Laura McDonnell arrived they met a male in the driveway who showed them he was on the phone to 999. He told them that Ms Thorpe had fallen down the stairs.

They found Ms Thorpe lying covered in blood at the bottom of the stairs with another female behind her covered in blood and screaming in hysterics. Ms Thorpe was being cradled by the woman who had been named earlier as allegedly causing disturbance. She was irate, crying and screaming repeatedly. “She appeared to be extremely intoxicated and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs”, he said. He then noticed three other residents of the house to his right hand side. The Garda said that at 6.05pm he contacted Sergeant Michael Noonan to inform him of the situation and to request his attendance at the scene.

Garda McDonnell met and had a conversation at the gate with an advanced paramedic while he (Garda Leonard) tried to calm and control the woman who was intoxicated. He and Garda McDonnell carried out CPR on Ms Thorpe. Her body was moved slightly out of the front door in to the driveway so allow for a machine to be used in resuscitation attempts. The intoxicated woman had to be pushed back several times to prevent her interfering with these attempts. At 6.54 attempts were ceased and Ms Thorpe was verified deceased. The address was declared a crime scene and a cordon was set up.

Garda Edel Dugdale, Trim Garda Station gave evidence of having attended the mortuary of Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan where Mr Herbert Thorpe identified the body of Ms Thorpe. The Garda said that it had been found that there was no foul play in the incident at the house.

Consultant pathologist Professor Muna Dabah read the conclusions of a post mortem carried out by Dr Yvonne McCarthy from the State Pathologist’s Office in which she said that Ms Thorpe suffered multiple bruising, haemorrhages and fractures in the skull. A toxicology report showed an alcohol level in her blood of 405/100, “eight times the legal driving limit”. The post mortem report concluded that the deceased had died from traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall down a stairs and a contributory factor was alcohol intoxication.

The coroner returned a verdict of misadventure stating that death had been due to a traumatic head injury due to a fall with a contributory factor of intoxication. He extended his sympathies and those of Deputy Coroner Donna Kerrigan to the family of the deceased. Garda Inspector Alan Roughneen also extended his condolences.