Woman, 70, died after fall

A 70- year- old woman who fell down the stairs at her home in Leitrim village later died from severe head injuries a day later in Sligo University Hospital.

The inquest into the death of Margaret Gill, of Ballywing, Leitrim Post Office, Leitrim Village, heard that the deceased’s husband found her lying at the bottom of the stairs on December 8th 2015.

It was close to 1am and Mrs Gill had been getting ready to go to bed before the fall occurred.

Her husband Patrick was downstairs and her eldest son Gerard was also upstairs in bed.

A deposition read to the inquest from her husband said he heard a loud bang and he found Margaret lying at the bottom of the stairs. He knew she had fallen and rang for an ambulance which arrived within 15 minutes.

Mrs Gill was conscious at this stage and paramedics treated her for a head wound at the scene before bringing her to Sligo University Hospital.

Her condition deteriourated and she was pronounced dead at 3: 15am on December 9th 2015. Mr Gill said he was married to his wife for 44 years and they had five children. She had been in great health prior to the fall. The stairs in the house was very steep and narrow and there had been a handrail put in halfway down the stairs.

When paramedics arrived at the scene Mrs Gill was sitting in a chair and they treated her for a head wound. She was conscious and her vital signs were normal.

There was no change in her condition on route to the hospital.

Pathologist Galen Kyurkchiev who carried out the post mortem examination said there was serious head injuries sustained in the fall and Mrs Gill died as a result of massive intracranial haemotoma following a fall.

Coroner Eamonn MacGowan returned a verdict of death by accident from intracranial haemotoma as a result of a fall.

He said that he wanted to express his sympathies to Mrs Gill’s husband, Patrick, and all of her children and extended family for their loss.

“Margaret was a wife and parent aged 70 years, a young woman living life. I’m sorry that she suffered this accident and wish you all the best.”

Sergeant Philip Maree also expressed his sympathy to the family of Mrs Gill on behalf of An Garda Síochána.