Appeal for witnesses as 60 gardai investigate death

UP to 60 detectives are involved in a full-scale investigation into the death of a 42-year-old woman whose body was discovered at her Co Dublin home on Sunday night.

Gardai were yesterday still describing the death of Mrs Miriam O'Donoghue, of Ashfield Gardens, Mulhuddart, as "suspicious" but have appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

They have also begun house-to-house inquiries in an attempt to retrace her last movements, after a preliminary post-mortem investigation found that Mrs O'Donoghue suffered a "throat injury consistent with a blow which resulted in asphyxiation", or choking.

Dr John Harbison, the State Pathologist, carried out the post-mortem at the James Connolly Memorial Hospital late on Monday night and early yesterday morning. Further tests are expected to be carried out and samples of body tissue have been sent for analysis.

Supt Dennis Donegan, of Cabra Garda station, who is leading the investigation, said yesterday evening there had been a good response to initial appeals and house-to-house inquiries earlier in the day.

The death remained "suspicious" because so far they only had a preliminary post-mortem report.

It was too early to say what the precise circumstances were, detectives said after the Garda conference yesterday.

Mrs O'Donoghue, who had an 11-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son, was discovered by her husband at about 8.30 p.m. on Sunday. The couple were separated but shared access to their children, and Mrs O'Donoghue is believed to have moved into the house last summer.

Her husband was reported to be returning the children when he discovered her body in a bedroom of the bungalow which is located in a quiet cul-de-sac. The two children did not see their mother's body when it was discovered.

Detectives said there was no sign of a forced entry to the house. It has emerged that the last reported sighting of Mrs O'Donoghue outside her home was at about 2.30 p.m. on Friday when she was seen waiting for a bus on Navan Road. She also had food delivered to her door from a local take-away at 9.30 p.m.

Investigating gardai were yesterday hoping to establish what happened between Friday at 9.30p.m. and almost 48 hours later when her body was discovered.

Supt Donegan said that Mrs O'Donoghue had a mobile phone and may have received calls over the weekend. He appealed for anyone who may have phoned her on the mobile phone to come forward, or for local people who noticed any unusual activity or unknown cars in the area to contact gardai at the Cabra incident room 01 838-9556 or the Garda confidential freephone number 1800666-111