A 38-year-old mother of three found dead in a flat in Cork earlier this year died from brain swelling and bleeding into the brain due to blunt force trauma to the head, an inquest was told today.
Nicola Collins, a native of Tralee, Co Kerry but living at Clashduv Road in Togher in Cork was found by paramedics when they called to a flat at Popham's Road in Farranree on March 27th last.
Today at Cork Coroners Court, Det Insp Declan O’Sullivan said that a person was currently before the courts in relation to Ms Collins’s death and he applied for an adjournment of the inquest.
Cork City Coroner, Philip Comyn granted the application and adjourned the inquest indefinitely to allow the criminal proceedings over Ms Collins's death take their course in the courts.
Last month, Cathal O'Sullivan (44) a native of Charleville living at Popham's Road, Farranree was charged with the murder of Ms Collins.
At the inquest, assistant State pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster gave evidence of carrying out a post-mortem on the body of Ms Collins and she outlined her findings at autopsy.
Ms Collins died from brain swelling and traumatic subdural haemorrhage with diffuse axonal injury to the brain due to blunt force trauma to the head, Dr Bolster told the court.
Det Insp O’Sullivan told Mr Comyn that the garda family liaison officer who was dealing with Ms Collins’s family would inform them that the inquest had been adjourned pending the criminal trial.
Ms Collins, who was buried in her native Tralee following a funeral Mass in the town, is survived by her father, Michael, her mother, Kay; and her three children.
