Happy life before bloodied body found next to ex-boyfriend
Michelle Darragh appeared to be enjoying a happy life before her pregnant, bloodied and lifeless body was found next to her critically injured ex.
Last weekend, a pregnant 32-year-old woman was found next to her estranged partner, suffering injuries from which she would not survive. But just a month into the relationship with him, Michelle Darrah appeared to be having the time of her life.
It was February 2016 and Ms Darragh, known to her friends as Shelley, was pictured laughing and celebrating in the back of a pink limo.
The month before, in January, Ms Darragh had altered her Facebook status to say that she was in a relationship. The person she was in a romance with was cabinet-maker Ben Coman.
She would go on to have two young sons with the Mr Coman, who last Saturday was found next to her, both suffering critical injuries.
Little is publicly known about what happened after Ms Darragh – who had recently separated from Mr Coman – arrived at his Bayswater North home in Melbourne on October 9 to collect some belongings.
Ms Darragh’s father turned up outside the house at around 7.30pm and jumped the fence – when he made the shocking discovery of his daughter lying next to her former partner.
While they were both injured, Ms Darragh could not be saved.
Mr Coman is currently under police guard in a Melbourne hospital, and, according to detectives, is the sole person of interest in the case.
No charges have been laid.
Six years ago, Ms Darragh, who was then in her mid-twenties, was a bridesmaid to her friend Tahlia.
It was February 2016 and piled into the back of a pink stretch Hummer, Ms Darragh and the other bridesmaids, the bride’s mother and friends were pictured sipping pink cocktails through pink straws.
Wearing pink bridesmaid sashes, the young women played games like cocktail making, posed by the massive pink vehicle and looked like happy young women with their wholes lives ahead of them.
One of the other bridesmaids was Michelle’s sister, who posed for a photograph with Michelle and the bride-to-be.
The sisters came from an incredibly close family and were close to their brother and his fiancee.
Michelle’s friends were successful young women working as nurses, an animal carer, a flight attendant, and in other accomplished careers.
It was a big year for the popular and dedicated church social worker and in later years, Michelle could be seen enjoying young motherhood just like her friends.
Michelle’s good looks have regularly attracted compliments on Facebook with many people posting that she looked “beautiful”.
By November 2016, Ms Darragh and Mr Coman appeared to have acquired two puppies and on January 16, 2017 Michelle posted a photograph of a shirtless and heavily tattooed Mr Coman on the beach.
He was posing with two dogs and a puppy and she wrote by the photo: “A BIG happy 25th birthday to my hunni. You’re my something special.”
The couple looked blissfully happy while holidaying at the Bay of Fires in Tasmania, eating ice creams and posing for selfies.
By early 2018, the couple had welcomed their first child.
A second son followed in 2020 and as a young family they appeared to enjoy trips to the seaside and to the country.
In June this year, Ms Darragh posted a photo of the two boys sitting side-by-side and smiling on her youngest son’s first birthday.
In response to her mother’s joking question, “How long did it take us to get this photo lol,” Michelle replied, “Too long lol only decent photo I have of them both haha.”
A Facebook post around the same time with a photo of Ms Darragh and Mr Coman holding their boys attracted comments like “beautiful family” and “perfect family”.
It is unclear how long it was after this that the couple split and Ms Darragh moved back into her parents’ house in The Basin, a suburb boasting a close-knit community 30km east of Melbourne’s CBD.
A neighbour told the Herald Sun Michelle had regularly made the 6km drive to visit the property on weekends with the couple’s two children after the relationship had ended.
Neighbours said that paramedics had visited Mr Coman’s home in September to check on his physical and mental welfare.
Trent Falahey said he had asked Mr Coman, who is believed to run a custom joinery and shop fitting business, the day before the incident if he was all right and he had replied that he “was fine, he said he was OK”.
Ms Darragh’s white SUV was removed from the driveway of the Bayswater North home last weekend.
Victoria Police are still waiting to interview Mr Coman about what happened, however a spokeswoman said homicide squad detectives were “not looking for anyone else in relation to this incident”.
A devastated Aaron Darragh remembered his sister as “a beautiful soul who put everyone’s needs before herself”.
Saying the family was “beside ourselves with emotion”, he said Michelle “absolutely adored her boys and gave her life to them”.
Ms Darragh’s employer Uniting Vic. Tas said her colleagues were “deeply shocked and devastated” by her sudden death.
“Michelle’s death is a terrible tragedy,” the Uniting Church’s community service body’s chief Bronwyn Pike said.
More Coverage
“[She] was a valuable member of our staff and greatly appreciated by her colleagues and the people she supported in her role at Uniting.
“We extend our thoughts and wishes to her family at this incredibly sad time.”
Huge move after plane ‘hijack’ attempt
A snap security review has been ordered at Australian airports after an alarming incident involving a teen allegedly armed with a shotgun.
Man allegedly stabbed near Westfield
A man has been rushed to hospital after he was allegedly stabbed in the leg outside a Westfield shopping centre.
Child-killing cult leader’s sickening outburst
Explosive footage captured a killer cult leader’s defiant outburst to police after the fringe Christian sect fatally withdrew an 8yo girl’s insulin for God to “heal” her.