A MOTHER of two sustained fatal head injuries when she was knocked over while trying to intervene in a fight, an inquest has heard.
Rachel Jones (25), Oliver Bond House, Dublin, died at Beaumont Hospital on August 9th, 2008, six days after she received serious head injuries when she attempted to break up a fight at the flat complex of Oliver Bond House on August 3rd.
Ms Jones was trying to stop a fight between her friend Daniel Madden and another man, Mark Skerritt, when Mr Madden, who had been kicked by the other man, fell backwards, knocking Ms Jones to the ground, an inquest into her death heard at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday.
Ms Jones had been standing on steps in the middle of the complex when she was knocked backwards in an “accelerated fall”. She hit her head on a concrete surface and was rendered immediately unconscious, the inquest heard.
The 25-year-old woman was taken to St James’s Hospital where a urine dipstick test was positive for cocaine, cannabis, morphine and sedative drugs.
Ms Jones was transferred to Beaumont Hospital where she underwent two surgeries but never regained consciousness.
A postmortem by State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy found she died from blunt force trauma to the head.
Ms Jones had been socialising in a local pub with friends earlier that evening. The group then went back to her house for drinks before continuing to another friend’s flat and to the common area outside the flats, the inquest heard when it opened on July 29th. A paramedic who lived in the flat complex, Tracey Dempsey, was called to the scene and found Ms Jones unconscious but responding to pain stimuli.
A file was sent to the DPP and no prosecutions were directed.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
He expressed his condolences to Tina Jones, Rachel’s mother, who was in court yesterday and to the rest of her family.
The coroner said he would write to Dublin City Council over concerns raised by residents of Oliver Bond House regarding the steps in the centre of the complex from which Ms Jones fell. The residents consider the steps too high and unsafe.
He said he would also make inquiries regarding CCTV cameras in the complex, which are believed not to be operational.