Limerick coroner expresses concern over 'all too frequent' deaths involving alcohol and drugs
THE COMBINATION of drugs and alcohol resulted in the deaths of two women, Limerick coroner’s court heard.
At the inquests held in Kilmallock courthouse, Inspector Sandra Heelan read out a deposition from the garda who attended the scene of the first death on a date in 2020.
“We were notified by ambulance control of an unresponsive female. She was found by a friend face down in the couch around 11.20am. She was last seen alive shortly before midnight,” stated the garda.
Inspector Sandra Heelan then read out the deposition of the friend who found the deceased woman, who was aged in her 30s.
“She was lying face down. I went to wake her and I realised she was dead. I started screaming. The neighbours heard me,” she told gardai.
The pathologist, Dr Gabor Laskai, said a post mortem showed “quite a few drugs and alcohol”.
“Xanax and alcohol were both present which is most dangerous,” said Dr Laskai. While neither were in toxic levels, he said the combination of alcohol and xanax strengthen the effect of each other.
The Limerick coroner, John McNamara said the woman died of a drug overdose.
He said they see the tragic results of the combination of drugs and alcohol “all too frequently”.
“The cardio-respiratory system closes down. If it is some consolation it is a peaceful passing,” Mr McNamara told the family at the inquest.
A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.
In the second inquest, Insp Heelan read out the deposition of the garda who attended the scene at a home in County Limerick.
“We received a call regarding a sudden death. She was found unresponsive on the floor of her bedroom. Her family thought she was asleep on the floor with their dog,” stated the garda.
Insp Heelan also read out the deposition of the brother of dead woman, aged in her 30s. He said his sister often stayed up late at night so it was not unusual for her to sleep during the day. He said he put a duvet on her while she was asleep on the floor.
The inquest heard that a couple of hours later he went to check on her and discovered she was dead.
Insp Heelan also read the deposition of the deceased person’s mother.
“She was bipolar and took a lot of medication. She was an alcoholic. She was not in great form (that weekend). I found a lot of empty bottles which I was disappointed about as I thought she was off alcohol.
“She was an extremely intelligent, kind, caring person. None of us are right since it happened,” read the mother’s deposition.
In that case, Dr Laskai, said the cause of death was cardio-respiratory failure.
“The toxicology report showed multiple drugs. Paracetamol was at a toxic level. There were psychoactive drugs as well. They were all prescription drugs,” he said.
Apart from the paracetamol all the other drugs were found to be at normal levels. The inquest heard that there was inflammation of the woman’s pancreatic gland, which might explain the high levels of paracetamol. Alcohol was also found.
Mr McNamara told the family there is no pain in deaths like this.
“The person goes into a coma-like state. All the drugs were at prescribed levels apart from the paracetamol which was at a toxic level. The combination of all these factors led to her death,” said Mr McNamara, who recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
“She did not intend this outcome. It was the indirect consequences of the drugs and alcohol in her system,” said the local coroner.
In both inquests, Mr McNamara expressed his sympathise to the families in attendance. On behalf of the gardai in Limerick and in a personal capacity, Insp Heelan expressed her condolences.