Woman found dead in overflowing bath by man investigating leak, inquest hears

The body of a 31-year-old Lurgan woman was found in a bath by a maintenance man who was investigating a leak in the block of flats she had been living in, an inquest has heard.

Laura Marshall's bruised body was discovered in an overflowing bath at her home in Victoria Street in April 2016.

According to a police officer, who was one of the first on the scene, he believed a violent assault had taken place.

Gary O'Dowd, 38, from Brookfield Avenue in Banbridge, was arrested and charged with her murder. He denied any involvement in her death. Two years later the case against him was dropped after the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) decided to withdraw all charges.

During the first day of the inquest, a statement from the maintenance man was read out to the court.

He told how another resident in the block of flats had complained that there was water pouring through his ceiling.

He said he had gone to the flat above where Laura Marshall had lived. He said the resident from the flat below had then gone with him to her flat.

The man told the court that the lock on the front door of her flat was loose and that he had been able to force it open.

He said he called out Marshall's name but that there was no answer.

The flat, he said, was in darkness and that he had entered using a torch.

He noted that the floor mat in the hall was sodden and that the door handle of the bathroom was on the floor in the hall. The spindle was not in the lock.

Unable to open the door, the maintenance man had gone downstairs to his van to get a screwdriver which enabled him to unlock the door which had a childproof button on it.

He said he opened the door a few inches and with the aid of his torch he saw Laura Marshall in the bath face down. She was naked and he noticed bruising on her shoulder. The taps were still running.

The sink had been smashed and lay in pieces on the floor and there was blood on the floor.

He said he reported it immediately to the police and that during the call he asked the police if he could turn off the running taps to which he was told he could.

During an opening statement, a lawyer for the coroner said that Laura Marshall had been living with Gary O'Dowd at the property for a few years and that there had been a number of complaints of domestic violence against him.

A detective sergeant, who was among the first members of the PSNI on the scene, also gave evidence.

He too described the bathroom scene. He noted that there was a circular bruise on Laura's forehead and also bruising on her arm.

He said he saw congealed blood higher than the water level of the bath.

In his evidence he said he assessed that the death was suspicious and that it had the "hallmarks of a domestic violence-related murder."

He said in his initial assessment of the scene, he believed that Marshall had taken refuge in the bathroom and that a violent assault had taken place there. Adding that the assault had ended with the victim drowned in the bath.

He also noted that the sink had been smashed and that the inside door handle and spindle were on the floor of the bathroom.

A forensic scientist also gave evidence to the court. During questioning by a lawyer acting on behalf of Laura Marshall's family he said that both the door frame and the bathroom door had been damaged when he examined the scene.

He was asked if it was possible to lock the bathroom door from the outside. He replied: 'Yes".

The inquest is expected to last until at least the end of next week.