Woman’s body ‘missing’ after son brings it home

A DEVOTED son brought the body of his elderly mother to Ireland – but it has now gone “missing”.

The coroner for Kerry South, Terence Casey, has confirmed he no longer knows the whereabouts of the body of an English woman which was brought to Kenmare, Co Kerry in early October, apparently by the woman’s son.

The woman, who was 91, died on September 24 in Malta of natural causes.

The family are believed to be from the south of England and had been living in the Kenmare area for about two years, and had rented a house in the town centre.

The woman was confined to a wheelchair and her son who was in his early 60s was “devoted to her” according to one local man.

They had both been on holiday in Malta when she died.

On October 14, gardaí in Kenmare became aware of the presence of the woman’s body in the house in Kenmare town centre – a short distance from the Kenmare Garda Station. Gardaí informed Mr Casey who issued what he described yesterday as “an ultimatum” to bury the body or have it cremated.

According to sources she was laid out in a bedroom of the house.

Coroner Terence Casey said paperwork established that the body was flown from Malta into Gatwick airport in Britain in a sealed coffin. It had all the proper documentation for entry to Britain.

However the remains arrived into this country, via sea port, on October 4, without the proper documentation for entry to this country.

“Coming through customs he should have declared that he was bringing in a body,” Mr Casey explained.

Mr Casey said he issued an ultimatum immediately to the man for the proper disposal of the body, either through burial or cremation and allowed him a number of days – until Monday, October 18, to do so.

However, when gardaí arrived at the house neither the body nor the woman’s son were there.