Isabel Arthur pictured at her home in Feddyglass, Raphoe after being attack by burglars.
A leading Garda has appealed to anyone who knows about an attack on two elderly sisters to come forward as harrowing details were heard into one of their deaths at an inquest yesterday.
Donegal Coroner’s Court heard how 89-year-old Susan (Suzie) Arthur died three months after a suffering a broken hip in an aggravated burglary.
Suzie, who shared the well-known home on the main Letterkennny to Lifford home with her older sister, died by misadventure, the inquest found.
Ms Arthur sustained a broken hip when three men entered her home at Feddyglass, Raphoe, on July 1st, 2013.
One of the men grabbed her by the arm and pushed her to the floor.
The inquest found that she died as a result of a blood clot which spread to her lung from her left leg.
Ms Arthur’s older sister Isabel died in March 2015 and coroner Dennis McCauley said the burglary had resulted in the deaths of two people.
The Arthur sisters’ home at Feddyglass
Isabel was also pushed to the floor in the attack. The men searched the house for valuables, cut the phone line and locked the two women in the house before they left.
No one has ever been arrested over the aggravated burglary and Superintendent David Kelly yesterday issued a new appeal for information.
Susan Arthur did return to her home after the burglary following her admission to hospital. She died in Letterkenny General Hospital on October 11th, 2013 after a period in Lifford Community Hospital.
In the aftermath of the burglary Isabel was able to free herself by using a spare key. She raised the alarm by flagging down traffic on the main Lifford to Letterkenny road at around 5 p.m.
Motorists stopped to give assistance to Isabel who was distressed and wearing just one shoe.
Susan was found lying on the floor of the kitchen of her home. The three men broke glass in a dresser downstairs and pulled out drawers in rooms upstairs in their search for valuables.
Superintendent David Kelly said the investigation has not closed. He said there are people who know who was involved and appealed to anyone who might have information to come forward.
“This terrible act happened as a result of an aggravated burglary,” he said. He offered his condolences to Mr McClean. “I want to offer condolences on behalf of An Garda Siochana. Words cannot be said to express what we feel for your loss.”
Joe McClean, the women’s nephew, said the two sisters were not married and had lived at the house all their lives. “The garden was their pride and joy. It was their thing in life,” he said.
Mr McClean said Susan had been in good health before the burglary and had all her faculties.
Isabel died on St. Patrick’s Day 2015 and Mr McClean said he believed the death of Susan contributed to her sister’s death.
Dr. McCauley said the burglary was a terrible event and Susan’s death was tragic.
“We have two ladies whose lives were totally turned upside down by one incident,” he said. “This is a terrible tragedy and I think it is a disgrace what happened.
“The incident resulted in the death of two people and that is a terrible thing. It was callous, cruel, unlawful and it was wrong,” he said.