Mother sought help at hospital before drownings

SHARON GRACE’S death and the drowning of her two daughters should never have occurred, a coroner has said.

Yet, almost 17 months after Sharon Grace drowned her two daughters, four-year-old Mikhala, and three-year-old Abby, and then killed herself, emergency, out-of-hours numbers for social workers — which the distraught mother sought — have still not been provided to Ely Hospital staff in Wexford.

“It’s a loss of innocent lives which should never have occurred,” Wexford coroner Jimmy Murphy said, as they heard how all three died from drowning.

But jury foreman, Sean Meyler, went a step further in his criticism of the health service. “There are times when mere words cannot help. But there have been no changes in procedures at the hospital to today.

“This could happen again and it is the greatest insult to the memory of these people. Surely something must be or should be done, specifically in a country awash with money. To say that innocent lives should be lost is a disgrace,” Mr Meyler added.

State pathologist, Marie Cassidy, said the mother and her two daughters all died as a result of drowning. Alcohol and drugs were not a factor in any of the three cases, she said, and there were no signs the children had been restrained.

She examined Sharon Grace’s remains first. She said she found froth in her mouth as well as changes to her hands which would be consistent with being in water. There were no internal injuries, but her lungs were bulging.

She then examined the remains of four-year-old Mikhala. There were no significant marks on her body. Again there were changes to her hands and her feet and there was bruising to the scalp which could have been caused by “buffeting” in the water, or prior to her entering the water.

There were similar findings in the examination of Abby’s body. She too had bruising to the forehead, which could also have been caused in the water, or prior to entering it.

The trio had been reported missing by Ms Grace’s family about seven hours before their remains were recovered from Kaats Strand, a short stretch of beach just under Wexford bridge and overlooking the bustling town. The site is just three to four minutes’ walk from Ely Hospital, a unit dedicated to care for the elderly.

Just days before her death, Ms Grace had been visited by a social worker.

Her estranged husband, Barry Grace, had alerted them as he was worried about his former wife.

The couple had been apart for several months and Ms Grace was caring for the girls and Amy, Ms Grace’s 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.

Barry had stopped paying maintenance directly to Sharon, suggesting he open a separate bank account for his girls, and Amy.

The visit by the social worker had so worried her that she called in to Ely Hospital the night they died. It is a hospital which principally cares for the elderly.

The receptionist there told her the social workers were off duty. She added that she did not have an emergency, out-of-hours number, but offered to ring Wexford General Hospital for Ms Grace. She declined the offer and walked out.

The receptionist saw her almost an hour later, walking on the opposite side of the road. It has emerged that she was the last woman to see Ms Grace alive.

Ms Grace walked down the lonely, yielding, gravelly road to Kaats Strand where, in utter desperation, she drowned her daughters, then herself.