Man arrested at airport quizzed over nursing home death

A MAN arrested at Dublin Airport was being questioned last night in relation to the suspicious death of an elderly woman in a nursing home.

The 83-year-old woman, named locally as Vera Vollrath, is believed to have been a German national who was living for some time in Tramore, Co Waterford, was found dead early yesterday at Killure Bridge Nursing Home outside Waterford city. It is understood she had been in poor health for some time, having suffered a stroke.

A report was made to Tramore Garda Station at about 5.30am yesterday after the woman’s body was discovered in the home. The alarm was raised by staff who found her body when they were checking residents in their bedrooms. It is understood the woman may have been suffocated in her bed with a pillow.

An investigation was immediately launched by Detective Superintendent Dominic Hayes of Waterford and a 46-year-old man was arrested at Dublin Airport yesterday afternoon.

He was brought to Waterford and detained for questioning under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Meanwhile, the woman’s body was brought to Waterford Regional Hospital and a postmortem examination is due to be carried out today.

Killure Bridge Nursing Home is located on four acres of grounds three kilometres from Waterford city on a road between Tramore and Dunmore East.

Services offered include long-stay, respite, convalescent care, palliative care and day care. The Health Information and Quality Authority list its registered providers of care as Kenneth Walsh and David Hyland, as part of the Killure Bridge Partnership. The home opened in 2004 and can accommodate 79 residents.

A spokesperson for the nursing home said last night they had “no comment” to make on the death.