Fresh Lead On Dead Pensioner's Injuries

The grieving family members of a Strabane pensioner whose post mortem injuries shocked NI over two years ago are now calling for a new probe.

They said they have uncovered new evidence about how her ribs were broken following her death.

Maureen McGinley, who was 78, died of natural causes at Altnagelvin Hospital in January 2007. Her family have now said that multiple fractures to her corpse were caused by a heavy object being placed on her.

An examination found 34 of her ribs had been broken after she died and - despite an internal inquiry at the hospital and one by the coroner's office - Mrs McGinley's family have never been able to find what happened.

The family now believe a heavy object or box was placed on top of their mother's body, as she was being taken from the ward to Altnagelvin's morgue.

A spokeswoman for the Western Health Trust refused to confirm if such a possibility was ever investigated when asked by the family's local newspaper, the Strabane Weekly News.

But Martin McGinley told the newspaper that his family intends discussing the latest discovery with their legal team.

In 2008, Stormont Health Minister Michael McGimpsey decided not to hold a public inquiry into how the body suffered 34 broken bones.

He said an independent probe would be unlikely to shed any further light on what happened to the body of 78-year-old Maureen McGinley.

"My understanding is that events surrounding Mrs McGinley's death have been subjected to a very comprehensive examination, both internally by the trust and by the coroner's service, who took responsibility for delivering her body to the Belfast City Mortuary for post-mortem.

"Despite that comprehensive investigation it has not been possible to provide a totally satisfactory explanation for the fractures which Mrs McGinley sustained after her death," he said, at the time.

See: No Inquiry On Fractured Body Mystery

(BMcC/GK)