*Claire & Joe Collins.
CO CLARE mother of two, Claire Collins was smothered to death with a pillow by a third party an inquest heard today.
At the County Clare Coroner’s Court today in Kilrush, a jury returned an open verdict into the death of Claire Collins (50) and a verdict of suicide into the death of her husband, Joe Collins (54) at their home at Crossard, Kilnaboy, Co Clare on November 9th 2023.
The jury returned the verdicts following a recommendation from Clare County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea that they were the appropriate verdicts to make.
On the open verdict for Claire Collins, Ms O’Dea said that there will be no criminal trial into her death and there was no evidence that her death was self-inflicted or an accidental death.
Ms O’Dea said that in an open verdict it simply means that the evidence doesn’t full disclose the means by which the cause of death occurred or doesn’t meet the required standard of proof for another verdict.
At the inquest, Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster said that Claire Collins’s cause of death was asphyxia due to smothering.
Presenting her post mortem findings, Dr Bolster stated that “the findings are consistent with pressure by a pillow over a face put in place by a third party”.
Dr Bolster said that there was bruising on Ms Collins’s right wrist joint and back of her right hand indicating defensive type injuries.
Dr Bolster said that there was no evidence of bruising to the neck and no evidence of strangulation.
Dr Bolster said, “I will add when the brain is deprived of oxygen the person becomes unconscious very, very rapidly and they are not suffering”.
Dr Bolster said that the cause of death for Joe Collins was also asphyxia caused by a ligature around the neck.
The brother of Joe Collins, Brian Collins discovered the bodies of Joe Collins and Claire Collins at their home on November 9th 2023.
In a deposition read out at today’s inquest, Brian Collins said that he found his brother’s body suspended from a basketball post at the back of the house while he discovered Claire Collins’s fully clothed body in an upstairs bedroom.
Brian Collins said that a note was on the stairs inside the front door saying ‘upstairs and out the back’ and he went upstairs to see Claire Collins’s body laid out on top of a bed and she was blue across the nose and mouth.
Brian Collins raised the alarm and his brother, Pat came back to the house with him and Pat Collins said the ‘Act of Contrition’ over Joe Collins’ body on the ground at the base of the basketball hoop.
Brian Collins had earlier taken Joe Collins’ body down after cutting the blue nylon ligature with a Stanley knife.
In evidence a work colleague of Ms Collins, Caitriona Murphy at the Burren Centre in Kilfenora gave evidence of speaking to Claire Collins by phone twice at 6.52pm and 8.40pm on the evening of November 8th on work related matters.
In her deposition to Gardaí read out by Insp Ronan McMahon, Ms Murphy said that Ms Collins sounded fine.
However, at the inquest today, Ms Murphy said, “There was a discernible difference in tone and demeanour between the two phone calls. I asked her if she was okay and she said that she was”.
The inquest heard how an anonymous male caller rang the National Ambulance Service at 3.09am on the morning of November 9th to say there was “a tragedy” at the home of Joe and Claire Collins.
Call taker at the NAS, Brian Sammon said that the male caller “refused to expand”.
When pressed further about he meant about tragedy, the caller replied “just come or words to that effect”.
Mr Sammon said that the caller said that it was the home of Claire and Joe Collins in a townland near Corofin.
Mr Sammon said, “He provided a townland and I can’t remember what it was….I eventually got a good location as I could”.
Mr Sammon said that the caller provided his wife’s phone number “after some hesitation”. Mr Sammon said that “the caller got a bit frustrated and hung up”.
Mr Sammon said that he rang the number provided by the unidentified caller and it rang out and went to voicemail.
Mr Sammon said that he left two voicemails that if the man required an ambulance to call back.
However, emergency services would not arrive at the scene for almost twelve more hours after Brian Collins had discovered the bodies of Joe Collins and Claire Collins.
Ms O’Dea told the inquest following the deaths of Joe Collins and Claire Collins that the National Ambulance Service has made recommendations as to how it should improve its service around the taking of calls.
In evidence, Sgt Dominic Regan of Ennis Garda Station said that he arrived at the home at 2.53pm on November 9th after receiving a call to go to the Collins home at Crossard, Kilnaboy where there was a report of two people deceased.
On arrival, Sgt Regan said he observed a note on the stairwell inside the front door indicating to ‘check upstairs and out the back’.
Sgt Regan said that he first went upstairs “and I observed a body of a deceased female lying on top of the bed. She was fully clothed and lying on top of the bedclothes”.
Sgt Regan said, “There were no signs of life and also no obvious injuries apart from dried blood on her lips”.
Sgt Regan said that he then went outside and saw a body with a coat on it at the base of the basketball post and the male body had ligature marks on his neck who he now knows to be Joe Collins.
In his deposition, Brian Collins said that he attended a funeral removal with Joe Collins on the evening of November 8th and had arranged to meet Joe Collins the following day at midday “for Joe to give me a hand about fitting a water softener at my house which is located nearby”.
At the conclusion of today’s inquest, Clare Coroner, Isobel O’Dea extended her sympathies to the families of Claire and Joe Collins including their daughters Tara and Sara, stating “no words can describe how you awful it must be for all of you”.
She said:,“Hopefully today will give you a little bit of closure.”
At the end of the inquest today, Ms O’Dea also read out a statement on behalf of behalf of the Meere and Collins families.
The families stated “while we take in the findings of the inquest we are still processing the grief and loss we feel every day for both Claire and Joe”.
The families stated “this is a deeply personal, painful matter for both the Meere and Collins families and we sincerely ask for privacy” as they continue to mourn “the loss of two irreplaceable people who we love so very much”.
The families also thanked the Gardaí for the sensitive approach to the deaths of Claire Collins and Joe Collins.
The families asked that the media to cover the inquest findings in a sensitive manner.
