Joel admits mother was comatose

THE daughter of Evelyn Joel told the trial into her death that she accepted her mother was in a comatose state when she went into hospital.

In a statement to gardaí, which was read out in court yesterday, Eleanor Joel, one of the accused, also accepted that her mother was extremely thin, dehydrated and had a skin breakdown.

Eleanor Joel, and Jonathan Costen, of 37 Cluain Dara, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, have pleaded not guilty to unlawful killing by neglect and reckless endangerment of Evelyn Joel between December 1, 2005, and January 6, 2007.