An inquest has heard how the bruised body of a dental nurse was discovered partially submerged in a bath at her Co Armagh home. A police officer also told the hearing that he had developed a "working hypothesis" upon attending the scene that the death of Laura Marshall "had the hallmarks of domestic-related murder". The 31-year-old's body was discovered in a flat on Victoria Street, Lurgan, in April 2016.
Inquest opens into death of Laura Marshall
Opening proceedings at Laganside Courthouse in Belfast on Thursday, attended by members of Ms Marshall's family, coroner Louisa Fee stated that the inquest is not intended to apportion blame to any individual, Belfast Live reports.
Outlining the background to the case, counsel for the coroner Aidan Sands said Ms Marshall had resided in an apartment block on Victoria Street, Lurgan, alongside her partner Gary O'Dowd, who originally hailed from Banbridge. He described their relationship as a "difficult one", noting that Ms Marshall had lodged several complaints of domestic violence against him. The barrister revealed that weeks prior to her death, Mr O'Dowd had been charged with assault and making threats to kill, however Ms Marshall had since decided she wished to withdraw the charges.
Neighbour raised concerns about water leak
Mr Sands confirmed the inquest would examine telephone communications between Ms Marshall and Mr O'Dowd. He stated that on 3 April 2016, a neighbour from the flat below had raised concerns about water seeping into his property. Maintenance manager Declan Maher subsequently visited Ms Marshall's flat that evening and entered the bathroom. Mr Sands said: "When the door opened partially, he saw Laura Marshall lying naked in the bath with her head and shoulders partly above the water and the water still running."
"Then he rang 999, contacted the police and the police told him to go back into the bathroom and turn off the tap, which he did." Mr Sands told the court the bathroom was in a "state of disarray", with the sink broken and blood visible on the walls. He added that an initial post-mortem examination had revealed Ms Marshall had sustained bruising to her body and forehead, as well as a gash on her left arm.
Pathologist concluded death by drowning
The barrister said pathologist Jack Crane concluded that Ms Marshall had died by drowning, and that her injuries "were more likely to have been sustained in an assault rather than being accidental injuries". However, he noted that several experts had reviewed the case and that there remained a "divergence of expert views as to the cause and circumstances" of her death.
Mr Sands confirmed that Mr O'Dowd was charged with the murder of Ms Marshall in April 2016. The barrister added that Mr O'Dowd had denied the offence and "had given a full account of his movements to the police in interview". The charges were subsequently withdrawn by the Public Prosecution Service in February 2018.
Maintenance manager gives evidence
Maintenance manager Mr Maher also gave evidence at the inquest, explaining that he had attended the building following a report of a water leak. Upon visiting the flat below Ms Marshall's, he discovered water "pouring from the ceiling like a waterfall". He told the court he went upstairs and knocked, but received no response. Mr Maher entered the flat and explained he had unlocked the bathroom door due to water seeping into the hallway, stating he "believed something was badly wrong at this stage".
He said: "I saw Laura Marshall lying on her front in the bath. Her head was facing towards the door. I could see her back. She was naked. There was no lights in the bathroom. The bath tap was on and the water was overflowing over the brim of the bath." Mr Maher said he contacted police before turning off the taps. He added: "I saw that there was a red mark on the floor, which I presumed was blood, and that Laura had bruises or black marks on her shoulder and other areas of her body."
When questioned as to why he had made no attempt to assist Ms Marshall, Mr Maher said: "I just knew she wasn't alive, I just knew by the way she was in the bath and the colour."
Police officer describes scene
The court then heard testimony from a detective sergeant who had attended the property following Mr Maher's call. He said: "I noted that there were multiple bruises present on the female's body, including a circular bruise in the centre of her forehead, I also observed a deep gash on a forearm, approximately eight centimetres long and running along the length of the arm."
The officer stated he subsequently examined the bedroom and concluded that more than one person had been lying in the bed. He said: "From my interpretation of the scene, I declared this a suspicious death, as I had formed the opinion that this incident had the hallmarks of domestic-related murder. That two persons had been in bed, that some type of argument occurred, which resulted in the female taking refuge in the bathroom behind the locked door. Attempts to force entry had resulted in the handle coming off, both inside and out. However, the assailant was then able to open the lock on the outside. It appears that a violent assault took place in the bathroom, which resulted in damage to the room and to her having cuts and bruises in multiple parts of her body."
The detective sergeant revealed he subsequently briefed the PSNI major investigation team. A barrister acting on behalf of the Marshall family questioned the officer as to whether the scene had been one of "quite a lot of destruction". He replied: "A lot of destruction."
A barrister representing Mr O'Dowd, who is anticipated to give evidence at the inquest, stated it remained unclear how the bathroom sink had been smashed. He continued: "It was your job to work out what the scene presented to you and you were doing your best?". The officer replied: "It's a working hypothesis."
The barrister pressed further: "Evidence is a very important thing when it comes to coming to conclusions about things?". The officer countered: "It was initial hypothesis, not a conclusion." The barrister further noted there was no evidence of an altercation within the flat, nor that two people had been in the bed. The inquest is set to continue on Friday.
