Mystery surrounds the death of a pregnant woman

Mystery surrounds the death of a pregnant woman
discovered at the foot of her staircase by her husband.

She had died from an injury ‘inconsistent’
with a fall, an inquest heard today Monday.

A police investigation found no suspicious
circumstances surrounding her death.

But a pathologist told the court that the fatal blow
had come from a sharp instrument.

Thirty-three-year old Maureen McKay of Pattison Walk,
Woolwich, was found dead by her common-law husband Robert
MacDonald on October 27 this year.

Her eight week foetus was also dead.

Coroner Sir Montague Levine recorded an open verdict in
what he called a ‘baffling’ case.

He said: ‘There is no evidence to indicate that Mr MacDonald
struck her that evening but at the same time it has not been
adequately explained to me as to how she sustained an injury to
the back of her head which is inconsistent with falling
downstairs.

‘
Pathologist Dr Ravi Doshi told the inquest: ‘The deceased had
a small 2cm contusion of the back of her head.

I find it extremely
difficult to analyse how it happened.

‘It is not consistent with a fall downstairs, it was likely to
have been a small instrument which struck her,’ she said.

Det.

Con.

Peter Baptist told the coroner that he had
not searched the house for an ‘instrument’.

Mr Macdonald said that his relationship with the deceased had
been ‘stormy’ mainly due to her heavy drinking.

He said: ‘She would become very abusive after drinking and
would sometimes hit me.

She broke several pairs of my glasses.

‘
The detective told the inquest that he had been arrested
twice following complaints by Ms McKay that she had been assaulted
but that no charges had been brought.

‘I don’t like to say this, but her downfall was drink,’ Mr
MacDonald said.

He produced a letter for the court that he had found tucked down
a sofa after his common law wife’s death.

It was a love letter from
her to him with SWALK on the back of the envelope.

It read: ‘You know that I have been through alot lately and
I have not told you that I love you in the last two years but I
do.

Please take care of yourself.

‘
Sir Montague said: ‘This was obviously a tempestuous relationship
but the inference is that Mr MacDonald stayed with her however abusive
she became after excessive drinking.

‘
He offered his condolences to the deceased’s family from Edinburgh
where she was born on February 9, 1958.

She had lived there, working as
a children’s nurse, until six years ago.

ENDS
LLLL