Mum’s disturbing tweet days before deaths

An Irish mother shared a disturbing message about her future just days before police discovered her body and that of her young son in their London home.

Officers forced their way into a house in The Fairway, Ruislip, on Wednesday morning after concerns were raised for the occupants.

Inside were the bodies of a 37-year-old woman, and a seven-year-old boy that detectives believe are Sinead Higgins and her son, Oisin O’Driscoll.

Ms Higgins, a registered nurse and medico-legal advisor, from Aughagower, Co Mayo, who’s family is known to Taoiseach Enda Kenny, had tweeted last Friday “the future looks very” followed by an emoji of a tornado.

Sinead Higgins

She had worked as a clinical negligence litigation executive at Action Against Medical Accidents, a British charity for patient safety and justice in central London.

“Anyone who worked with Sinead was devastated to hear the tragic news,” a former colleague said yesterday. “She was a very pleasant and able work colleague and it is terribly sad.”

Ms Higgins had spent more than a decade working as an emergency nurse in one of London’s busiest hospitals. Before the birth of her son, she spent 11 years at St George’s Hospital in Tooting.

She then changed professions and studied law, specialising in medical negligence.

She posted a poignant photograph on her Instagram page less than a month before her death. Included on the selfie with her son was the hashtag ‘together forever’.

A spokesperson for Metropolitan Police said postmortems were scheduled to take place today and confirmed that Ms Higgins’ family had been informed.

Detective Inspector Dave Bolton from the Homicide and Major Crime Command said: “The investigation is at a very early stage, but enquiries so far lead us to believe there is a likelihood that the tragic events that led to the deaths do not involve a third party. We are appealing to anyone who has information to come and speak with us.”

News of the tragedy shocked local people. Ms Higgins is from a well known Aughagower family.

Her father, Thomas Higgins, died in June 2014. She is survived by her mother, Mary, five brothers and three sisters. Her brother, Cathal, died in a road accident in 2004.

Speaking in Brussels last night, Mr Kenny said: “I’m very sorry, I’m shocked actually. I know that family very well, and it’s a particular tragedy for that family, a very large family I know so well.

When I got that message here in Brussels, I have to say it went through me because an incident or a tragedy like this leaves you in a state of understanding that people face difficulties in their lives that you would never contemplate.”