Mother found dead in bed after young son went to wake her

THE extent of the problem of cocaine abuse was yet again highlighted yesterday at a coroner’s court, which heard about a young mother of one who was found dead in bed after taking cocaine.

Patrick Coburn found his daughter, Caitriona Coburn, 28, of The Dingle, Woodfarm Acres, Palmerstown, dead in the bed of the mobile home in which she lived on April 3, 2007.

A bag of cocaine and an Xtra-vision card and straw which tested positive for cocaine, were found beside her.

Her young son, who lived with his mother in the mobile home, was alone with his mum at the time of her death.

Patrick Coburn told the court that he went to his daughter’s mobile home — which was situated beside the family home — on the morning of April 3.

“I said to my grandson, ‘where’s your mother?’ and he said she was in bed so I said to wake her.

“He came back and said she wouldn’t wake up,” said Mr Coburn.

Mr Coburn found his daughter lying face down on the bed and he told the court that when he shook her arm and her whole body moved, he “knew she was gone”.

A postmortem confirmed the presence of cocaine in Ms Coburn’s system.

She died of cardiac arrhythmia due to cocaine toxicity, the inquest heard.

Mr Coburn and his wife, Marian, told the inquest that their daughter had had a drug problem in the past, but they had believed she was clean for the two years prior to her death.

The Coroner returned a verdict of death by misadventure.