Kirra-Lea McLoughlin died at the hands of Paul McDonald, coroner finds
A coroner has found that Kirra-Lea McLoughlin lost her life at the hands of her abusive de facto partner and that it was ‘highly probable’ he choked her to death.
Gympie
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A coroner has found that Kirra-Lea McLoughlin lost her life at the hands of her de facto partner and that it was ‘highly probable’ she was choked to death.
The ABC has reported today that the coroner investigating Miss McLoughlin’s death seven years ago handed down his findings on Monday, June 7.
Ms McLoughlin was 27 years old when she died in 2014 near Gympie. She had more than 100 bruises on her body, but despite a long-running police investigation, no charges have ever been laid.
An inquest into her death began in Gympie last year and the findings were handed down in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday morning.
Deputy State Coroner Jane Bentley said the inquest found Ms McLoughlin died from swelling of the brain caused by an obstruction of air or blood, the ABC reported.
It reported that the coroner found Ms McLoughlin‘s de facto partner, Paul McDonald, now 39, was likely drunk and became enraged when she told him she was leaving him, and that he was a “habitual perpetrator” of domestic abuse.
“The coroner acknowledged the police investigation into Ms McLoughlin‘s death would continue but declined to refer the matter to the Homicide Squad,” the ABC reported.
“It is likely the information gathered at the inquest will be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Ms McLoughlin was rushed to hospital after she was found unconscious in her home in Wolvi, near Gympie, on July 17, 2014.
She died in hospital the following day and despite her extensive injuries, the cause of her death has not been determined and no one has ever been charged.
The inquest heard Ms McLoughlin had a physical altercation with Mr McDonald’s sister on the night of the incident.
Mr McDonald’s sister struck Ms McLoughlin several times and she fell backwards and hit her head on a cupboard.
Counsel assisting the coroner John McInnes submitted that Ms McLoughlin’s former de facto partner Mr McDonald had a role in the woman’s death.
“In very simple terms the cause of death was swelling of the brain, the swelling was caused by an obstruction of air or blood,” he said.
“My submission is that the preponderance of the evidence now available supports the conclusion that Paul McDonald did some act which was a substantial cause of the death of Kirra-Lea McLoughlin, that’s the most likely scenario.”
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It comes after Forensic Medical Officer Dr Adam Griffin told the inquest some of her injuries led him to believe she could have been strangled.
He said she suffered haemorrhaging to the lower skin of her right eye as well as her eyelid.
“The most likely cause (of the haemorrhage) would be some sort of impairment in the blood flow returning from the neck, some sort of force high around the neck would be one I can’t eliminate as causative,” he said.
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