Inquest hears of injuries to slain Tralee mother
A TRALEE mother of three found dead in a flat in Cork earlier this year died from brain swelling and bleeding into the brain due to blunt force trauma to the head, an inquest was told.
Nicola Collins (38), a native of St Brendan’s Park in Tralee but living at Clashduv Road in Togher in Cork city, was found by paramedics at a flat at Popham’s Road in Farranree in Cork on March 27 last.
Last Friday Det Insp Declan O’Sullivan told Cork Coroners Court that a person was currently before the courts in relation to Ms Collins’s death and he applied for an adjournment of the inquest.
Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn, adjourned the inquest indefinitely to allow the criminal proceedings over Ms Collins’s death take their course.
Last month, Cathal O’Sullivan (44) a native of Charleville living at Popham’s Road, Farranree was charged with the murder of Ms Collins at Popham’s Road, Farranree on March 27, 2017.
Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster gave evidence at the inquest of carrying out a post-mortem on the body of Ms Collins.
Ms Collins died from brain swelling and traumatic subdural haemorrhage with diffuse axonal injury to the brain due to blunt force trauma to the head, Dr Bolster told the court.
Det Insp O’Sullivan told Mr Comyn that the garda family liaison officer who was dealing with Ms Collins’s family would inform them that the inquest had been adjourned pending the criminal trial.
Mr O’Sullivan is due before Cork District Court on September 20 having failed to obtain bail at a High Court hearing on September 7 and having been remanded in custody.