Loreto, 79, died of stab wound to the chest, inquest told

A PENSIONER who loved gardening died after a fall on to a pair of shears, an inquest heard yesterday.

The blade inflicted a chest wound on 79-year-old Loreto Peel after she tumbled from a ladder.

A full investigation was carried out by gardai after the tragedy on June 23, 2016, but they found nothing suspicious.

Mrs Peel’s daughter Helen Lane told the inquest that on the day of the accident she was contacted by a friend of her mum’s who was concerned she was not responding to calls.

She said she tried calling her mother’s mobile and landline before deciding to leave work to call to the house in Finglas, North Dublin.

Dublin Coroner’s Court heard she found her mum lying in the back garden of the property at Northland Drive.

WOUND

She said: “Her legs were caught on the ladder. The garden shears were very close to her right hand side and her right hand which was outstretched.”

She phoned an ambulance, while Dublin Fire Brigade responded to a call to the house.

There were no signs of life and Mrs Peel was pronounced dead at the scene at 3.02pm.

A postmortem revealed the pensioner suffered a fatal injury inflicted by the garden shears in a fall from the ladder.

Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan found a 16cm stab wound to the left side of the chest causing blood loss and a collapsed lung, leading to Mrs Peel’s death.

Coroner Dr Myra Cullinane asked the pathologist if it was possible the pensioner fell from the ladder while holding the shears and she replied, “Yes”.

Returning a verdict of accidental death, the coroner offered condolences to the family.