The Dublin County Coroner has adjourned an inquest into the death of a wheelchair-bound multiple sclerosis sufferer who it initially appeared attempted to hang herself.
Dr Kieran Geraghty yesterday requested that gardaí at Dundrum further investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Neelam Chawla, who was discovered dead by her son at their home at Hillview Grove, Ballinteer, Dublin, on January 25th last. Raymond Chawla returned home at 8.55pm and discovered his mother dead in her wheelchair, Dublin County Coroner's Court heard.
She had a ligature attached to her neck, which was attached to a coat hook above the front door.
Mr Chawla told the coroner he did not believe his mother would have been able to remove the coats from the hook or to attach the ligature to the hook because it was five feet nine inches from the floor and she was wheelchair-bound. "It wouldn't have been possible for her to do it," he said.
The court heard that Mr Chawla had last seen his mother at 8.45am that day and that a personal assistant who worked for the Irish Wheelchair Association was the only other person who would have been in the house.
Garda John Healy of Dundrum station said numerous attempts by gardaí to make contact with this assistant had failed. Dr Geraghty adjourned the inquest until October and requested that gardaí further investigate the case.