Family ‘very disappointed and angry’

THE Peavoy family said they were “very disappointed and angered” by the outcome of the inquest into the death of the young mother of two.

Speaking after the verdict of death by misadventure was read out, the family’s solicitor Teresa Gavin said the family wanted the Minister for the Environment to investigate what had occurred “in the Ballymun regeneration programme” and what had happened at the block of flats at Shangan Road where Rachel died.

Rachel Peavoy, aged 30, of 224 Shangan Road, Ballymun, Dublin 9, was found dead in her flat on January 11, 2010.

Pathologist Anthony Dorman, a consultant histopathologist at Beaumont Hospital, gave the cause of death as hypothermia. In his autopsy he identified the presence of typical features of hypothermia including gastric erosions with haemorrhage.

“It’s clear there are significant problems with Dublin City Council’s management of the Ballymun regeneration programme. A young woman froze to death. The family will be reflecting on what occurred today and will be taking advice,” said Teresa Gavin. “You will understand that they’re all very upset at the moment and that this upset makes making any further comment difficult at this time”.

In a touching scene, the family and close friends of Ms Peavoy released five Chinese lanterns into the sky outside the coroners court after the inquest, in memory of her.

There was a round of applause at Dublin City Coroner’s Court yesterday as Dr Ciaran Craven, counsel for Rachel Peavoy’s family, said an inquiry is needed as “this was a young woman, who has left two orphaned children, who froze to death in Dublin”.

Dublin City Coroner Brian Farrell said the level of the pain reliever Tramadol, which was found in Ms Peavoy’s system, though not fatal could have caused drowsiness and induced sleep. It can also interfere with body thermoregulation and left Ms Peavoy predisposed to hypothermia by interfering with physiological responses, he said.

“De-tenanting presents particular challenges both to the authorities but also to the tenants remaining particularly if they’re vulnerable,” he said, requesting that procedures in relation to advanced tenanting be reviewed.

Ms Peavoy had last spoken to her mother, Celine, the day before she was found dead. She had asked her mother to take care of her two sons, Leon and Warren, and said she was turning her phone off because she couldn’t sleep.