Criminal case ongoing over Zoe’s death, inquest hears

A THREE-year-old girl who died in an incident at her home suffered a reduced supply of oxygen to the brain, an inquest has heard.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane yesterday agreed to a Garda request to adjourn the inquest into Zoe Whitford’s death until December next.

‘There is a criminal investigation ongoing. The file is at a very advanced stage,’ Detective Inspector Martin Creighton told Dublin Coroner’s Court.

Toddler Zoe Whitford from Shankill, Co. Dublin, died in hospital on February 13, 2018. Emergency services had been called to the child’s home three days earlier.

The child’s mother Emer Cannon was charged with assault causing harm the day after the incident.

At the opening of an inquest yesterday into his daughter’s death, William Whitford said in his deposition that he formally identified the child’s body after her death at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin.

A post mortem conducted jointly by State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy and Crumlin Hospital pathologist Dr Maureen O’Sullivan found a cause of death of cerebral hypoxia. Cerebral hypoxia involves a reduced supply of oxygen to the brain.

Adjourning the inquest for further mention to December 12, 2018, coroner Dr Cullinane also addressed the Whitford family, saying: ‘My condolences to you… on your tragic loss in these circumstances.’