Son believed to have returned to UK with dead mother's remains

A man, for whom Kerry gardaí had been looking after the disappearance of his deceased mother's remains, may have driven her body to the UK via Northern Ireland.

Authorities said they believed the man, in his 60s and from the South of England, had been living in Kenmare, Co Kerry, for the last two years.

The County Coroner warned yesterday that he must bury or cremate his mother, who died in September.

A Garda spokesman said officers were made aware after October 14 that the man had been living in a rented house in the town with his mother’s body.

"The man was found in his house with his mother," the Garda spokesman said. “Both gardaí and the Coroner’s Office liaised with him and spoke with him. There was an undertaking given to bury his mother.”

The dead woman was in her 90s and had been living in Malta where she was taken ill and died from pneumonia on September 24.

Acting Kerry South County Coroner Terence Casey said her son flew her body back from Malta to London’s Gatwick Airport, put the coffin in a car and drove to Ireland.

Mr Casey said the body was not declared at Customs in Ireland.

The Coroner’s Office was contacted about the woman’s remains being kept in a rented house on the same day as the Garda were notified.

Mr Casey said the man had previously told his landlord he was leaving the house in Kenmare as his mother was ill in Malta.

“When the landlord went into the house approximately a week later, he discovered our man back in the house, who informed him that his mother died in Malta and that he was sorry but he was coming back to Ireland and wanted to live in the house again,” the coroner said.

Mr Casey said he had added “that his mother was laid out in the bed upstairs if he wanted to go and pay his respects”.

It is understood that the man has not committed a criminal offence.

Mr Casey served a notice on the man through local gardaí on October 15, insisting he deal with the body or it would be removed and put in cold storage.

The coroner contacted officers three days later to check on the house.

“When gardaí went out to the house they discovered he had gone and the body was gone. We haven’t heard or seen anything since,” Mr Casey said.

He said he also spoken with the man in person on October 15 or 16.

“Basically I’d say he didn’t realise how serious the matter was,” Mr Casey said. “He said he’d do something about it but didn’t tell me what he intended doing.”