AN INQUEST jury has returned a verdict that 35-year-old mother of one Meg Walsh died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head after it was told she had suffered three fractures to her skull after being hit by a heavy object.
State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy told Waterford Coroner's Court that Ms Walsh's body showed fractures of the skull as well as lacerations to the head and shoulders and injuries to her hands including fractures consistent with trying to defend herself against attack.
Ms Walsh's body was found lying face down and naked in the river Suir on October 15th, 2006, some 13 days after she was reported missing by colleagues at Meadowland Homes when she failed to show up for work on the morning of October 2nd, 2006.
Dr Cassidy said that the nature of injuries to Ms Walsh suggested that she died very quickly from her head wounds as there was little internal cerebral haemorrhaging but it was possible she was still alive though unconscious when her body was put into the water.
Ms Walsh's husband, John O'Brien, who was charged with her murder but acquitted last May, took the witness box at yesterday's inquest to confirm a statement made to the Garda shortly after his wife disappeared.
Mr O'Brien told gardaí he and his wife had returned to their home at Dunavarra, Ballinakill Downs, with a friend, Owen Walsh, at about 3.30am on October 1st after a night socialising in the nearby Woodlands Hotel. They continued drinking at home until about 5am when Ms Walsh asked would it be okay for Mr Walsh to stay in the spare room, but when he went up to the spare room, he discovered his wife and Mr Walsh with their arms around each other kissing.
He asked them "What the f**k is going on here?" and he then shouted at Mr Walsh "to get the f**k out of here" and Mr Walsh left and he asked his wife why she had kissed Mr Walsh and she told him that she did it because he "wasn't giving her attention".
Ms Walsh slept in the spare room and when he woke up at about 1pm the next day he could hear her still asleep as he headed out to buy the papers and he drove to Tramore before returning home at 5pm, when he again asked her why she had kissed Owen Walsh.
"She told me I had driven her to it because I didn't pay her enough attention," said Mr O'Brien, adding that he heard his wife leaving the house at about 8.30pm and he later went out for a walk and returned about 10.15pm.
His wife was not at home and he lay down on the bed and when he woke up at about 2.15am, there was still no sign of her. He texted her to say that he would put the incident in the spare room with Owen Walsh down to "a drunken kiss" and asked her to call him but he didn't get any reply.
When he got up next morning there was still no sign of her and he later rang Owen Walsh to ask if Ms Walsh had spent the night with him. He said he hadn't seen her and he tried ringing her phone but it was locked and he was unable to get through to her, Mr O'Brien told gardaí.
Waterford city coroner John Goff told the jury there was no evidence as to when exactly Ms Walsh was killed or when her body was put into the water and in those circumstances, he suggested the verdict should say she was pronounced dead on October 15th.
He suggested the verdict should say she died from blunt force trauma and when Ms Walsh's brother, James, pointed out her wounds were not self-inflicted and that she had been murdered, Mr Goff said he noted his remarks but he was precluded from including that in the verdict.
