Three people, including a child, died as a result of smoke inhalation after a chip pan overheated, the inquest into their deaths heard yesterday.
The bodies of the three people - James Harty (32) a farmer of Ballylongane, Ballyheigue, Co Kerry, his girlfriend, Sheila Stack (27), a sales assistant, of Croughcroneen, Lixnaw, and her five-year-old son Gavin Stack, were discovered at a house at Parknageragh, Ardfert, on the afternoon of May 31st, 2004.
The couple had not been seen since Ms Stack's babysitter had left them early on Sunday morning.
In his deposition to the inquest at Listowel, under coroner Helen Lucey, Garda Sgt C. K. O'Sullivan, of Ardfert, said that when he arrived at the house at 5.15pm he found the front and back doors locked and secure and the windows closed. He noticed the windows were blackened with smoke. Through the window he noticed a body near a couch.
In his deposition, Det Garda J. Kennedy, a forensic examiner, said the house was charred and smoke-damaged, "but not gutted by fire".
The door to the livingroom where the adults were found was closed at the time of the fire. Its interior walls, floor and ceiling were covered in soot. The door to his mother's bedroom, where Gavin Stack was discovered, was open at the time of the fire. The boy appeared to have collapsed after leaving the bed, Det Garda Kennedy found.
He established the seat of the fire at the electric cooker in the kitchen. The front ring was at the maximum 6 setting. There was a chip pan resting on it with burnt food inside. The remains of chips were on the worktop.
"I am satisfied that this fire occurred when the chip pan over-heated," he said.
Susan Maunsell, a babysitter, said in her deposition that Mr Harty had collected her at 10.30pm on Saturday, May 29th, to bring her to his girlfriend's house to babysit Gavin.
The boy had gone to bed but woke and looked for his mother. Ms Maunsell spoke to him and put him in his mother's bed. Ms Maunsell's boyfriend called after he had finished work at 2am and stayed until Ms Stack and Mr Harty returned. This was at around 4.30am. They said chip shops in town were closed and they had missed getting food. Ms Maunsell and her boyfriend stayed chatting with Ms Stack and Mr Harty for 15 minutes before leaving. "They were both in good form. They both had some drink but not too much," Ms Maunsell said in her deposition.
Dr Margot Bolster, assistant State pathologist, found the cause of death was smoke inhalation. Levels of carbon monoxide at 57 per cent in the case of Mr Harty and 74 per cent in the case of Ms Stack were fatally high.
The child had also died of smoke inhalation.
The jury brought back a verdict in accordance with the medical evidence.