A jury at the inquest into the death of a Clare woman whose body was found in a burnt out mobile home 20 years ago, has returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
The remains of Emer O’Loughlin, a native of Ennistymon, were discovered in a caravan on lands at Ballybornagh near Tubber in Co Clare, on 8 April 2005.
Her family welcomed the verdict at the Coroner’s Court sitting in Kilrush today.
“We are absolutely delighted with the verdict,” said Pam O’Loughlin, Emer’s sister.
“It’s the first time the state has acknowledged that Emer O’Loughlin was killed by someone else.
“Up until now we’ve had suspicious death etc but this is the first time that we have had it confirmed that she was killed by someone else. It’s what we came here today for,” she said.
Watch: Family of Emer O’Loughlin welcome verdict of unlawful killing
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Ms O’Loughlin’s remains by the then deputy state pathologist Michael Curtis at Galway hospital, the day after her death.
In his evidence, Dr Curtis said his examination concluded that “it was probable but not absolutely certain” that she was dead before the fire.
He said it was impossible to exclude strangulation or a cut to the throat as the cause of death, and so the cause of death was undetermined.
The retired pathologist was asked by Ms O’Loughlin’s sister Pam if injuries to her vertebrae were consistent with deliberate violence by another person, and he replied, “yes”.
The inquest also heard evidence from Dr Laureen Buckley, a forensic anthropologist, who carried out a second post-mortem examination after Ms O’Loughlin’s remains were exhumed in May 2010.
Dr Buckley said the skull was detached from the body when the remains were found, and that could have been due to a fall or caused by violence.
She said the absence of knife striations did not rule out the use of a knife.
She was also asked by the deceased’s sister if the injuries to the vertebrae were consistent with deliberate violence by another person, and replied, “It could have been, but I couldn’t say with certainty”.
She said there was possible violence to the front of Ms O’Loughlin’s neck.
Coroner Isobel O’Dea sympathised with the family after the jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
Inspector Brian O’Connor also offered his condolences on behalf of An Garda SÃochána.