Inquest into death of Leap woman is adjourned

AN inquest was opened and adjourned this week by the coroner for Mayo, Patrick O’Connor, into the death of a West Cork-born occupational therapist and mother-of-three, at her home near Westport last June.

In brief proceedings this week, Mr O’Connor was asked by Det Sgt Gary Walsh to adjourn finalisation of the inquest into the death of Leap woman Valerie French-Kilroy (41), of Kilbree Lower, Westport.

Det Sgt Walsh outlined that criminal proceedings had commenced and the trial of a man charged with the murder of Mrs French-Kilroy was due to go ahead next February.

The coroner acceded to a request for adjournment and fixed July 21st, 2021 as the date for the resumed hearing.

The results of a post mortem into Mrs French-Kilroy’s death were outlined by Coroner O’Connor.

The autopsy was carried out by Dr Linda Mulligan, State pathologist.

Dr Mulligan gave the cause of death as ligature strangulation in association with blunt force trauma to the head and a stab wound in the neck with an incised wound in the hand a contributory factor.

David French, a brother of the dead woman, gave a brief statement to gardaí, details of which were read to the hearing.

Mr French said he gave a short statement to gardai in Ashford, Co Wicklow, in which he explained he identified the body of his sister to Det Garda William Grant on June 15, 2019, in the mortuary of Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar.