Mother's death 'not linked to brothers' fight'
The family of a mother of nine, who were worried an accidental nose fracture from a family row may have caused her death, were tonight reassured it was due to natural causes.
State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy confirmed that 66-year-old Christine Taylor’s death had nothing to do with the heavy blow she received breaking up a row between her sons six days earlier in the family home at Ferrycarrig Road, Coolock, Dublin 17.
The Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard Mrs Taylor died on October 23, 2003 after an old brain aneurysm ruptured.
Brian, the youngest twin of nine children, told the inquest about his drunken row he had with his brother Paul six days previously after he came home from the pub.
He said his brother told him to go to bed and then they started to argue, which turned into a full-blown fight.
“We were fighting under the kitchen table and I was told it upturned,” Mr Taylor, who lived at home with his parents, said. “I don’t remember my mother intervening but apparently she did.”
He said he had not taken to drugs, just drink. Mr Taylor added: “I remember the gardai coming and asking me to leave.”
On the blow his mother sustained, he said: “I am blank I don’t remember how she got it.”
The inquest heard the gardai investigated Mrs Taylor’s death due to the nose fracture and heavy bruising across her face, but found it was not linked to the row.
Prof Cassidy, who said Mrs Taylor had an operation to close the brain vessel four weeks earlier, stated: “Unfortunately even after treatment an aneurysm can re-bleed at any time.”
She said: “The bruising and the fracture of the nasal bone was consistent with a heavy blow. There was no direct association with the incident.”
Prof Cassidy said when a vessel ruptures it bleeds immediately and the person collapses. She reassured the family there would not be a delay of a few days.
Her youngest son told the court that she appeared to be recovering well after the operation in Beaumont Hospital.
But Mr Taylor said they were watching television on the night of October 22, 2003 when she collapsed.
“Maybe a week or so after she let a glass of water fall and she started shaking,” he told the court.
The inquest heard she was rushed to Beaumont Hospital after the aneurysm ruptured.
Mr Taylor said: “The doctors told us they couldn’t do any more for her and they took her off the machine.”
The coroner, Dr Brian Farrell, found her death was due to natural causes.
