The mother of tragic teenager Erin Gallagher has told how she found her 13 year old daughter hanging at their home – just hours after chatting and joking with her.
Lorraine Gallagher, gave heartbreaking evidence of how she fond her daughter at the family home in Ballybofey, Co Donegal on October 27th, 2012.
Tragically, Lorraine’s eldest daughter Shannon, 15, took her own life just a few short weeks later.
There were emotional scenes at today’s inquest at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny.
Ms Gallagher told how tragic Erin and her son Sean James had visited her around 2pm at McElhinney’s department Store in Ballybofey where she was working.
Erin asked her mum during the visit if they could get broadband in their home and Lorraine said it would have to wait until the following Monday.
Lorraine said both Erin and Sean James were in good form and they left just after 3pm.
Devastated Lorraine revealed how she returned home from work at 6pm to find her home in darkness and her young son playing on the floor.
In her deposition read out by Garda Superintendent David Kelly, Ms Gallagher said she initially asked Erin what she was doing before realising she was actually hanging from the bannisters and was between two and three feet off the ground.
She tried to free her daughter but couldn’t and ran out into the street to alert neighbours.
Neighbours Kevin McGlinchey and Dan Deery gave evidence of how they found Erin and took her down and tried to give both chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth to Erin.
Dr James McDaid, who was the doctor on call for the NowDoc service on the night, told how he suspected Erin had died from suicide and was dead for between two to three hours when he arrived at the Gallagher family home at 15 Silverwood after receiving an emergency call at 6.20pm.
Detective Garda Tom Ward, who also attended the scene on the night of Erin’s suicide, told the inquest how Erin’s phone had been recovered as part of the investigation.
It was discovered that she had joined the AskFM social media site on June 25th, 2012 and had posted a total of 258 messages had been posted on her account.
A number of computer IP addresses were obtained from the account and several people were interviewed.
The findings of these interviews were passed on to the Director of Pubic Prosecutions but on June 14th, 2014, the DPP decided that no prosecution would be brought against any person.
Detective Ward also revealed how the DPP had made approaches the Latvian authorities to make contact with Ask.FM who did comply with the investigation.
The DPP also put in request to internet service providers but could not get some IP addresses as they were informed they were deleted after 12 months.
Alan Thompson, now principal of Finn Valley College where Erin was a pupil, also gave evidence.
Mr Thompson, who was not principal when Erin died, gave a breakdown of various incidents in which Erin had been involved including allegations that she was being bullied both online and at school.
Don Dwyer, child and adolescent psychologist with the mental health services of the HSE, confirmed that Erin had been in his care.
He said Erin’s main complaint was that of bullying and also an alleged sexual assault which had allegedly taken place at the school the previous year.
Mr Dwyer also gave evidence that Erin’s GP, Dr Eileen Coyne had informed him that Erin had previously tried to take her own life on September 21st, 2012.
She was due to attend Mr Dwyer again on November 1st, 2012 but took her own life just days beforehand.
Solicitor for the Gallagher family, Mr Patsy Gallagher said the inquest should remember that the person at the centre of the case was a child.
He appealed to young people to speak to anybody including teachers, Gardai or the school cleaner.
“Erin was a child who sadly passed away. Do not be afraid to speak to someone,” he said.
Coroner Denis McCauley returned a finding of death by suicide.
“This is a terrible tragedy, we can feel sorry but we cannot really understand the pain that this has caused,” he said.
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