Mother did not sedate daughter before death

LYNN GIBBS did not try to sedate her daughter before drowning her despite having a plentiful supply of drugs at her disposal.

State pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy said there were no traces of alcohol or medication in the teenager’s system when she carried out a postmortem a day after her death. Neither was there any injury that would have concussed her before she died.

Her lungs were waterlogged and her stomach showed signs of having been distended from water, and the only conclusion Dr Cassidy could reach was that Ciara had died from drowning. However, bruising on her scalp, shoulder blades and ribs suggested the involvement of another person in her death.