A verdict of accidental death was returned in Cavan yesterday at the inquest of a young woman who was killed when a shotgun held by her brother went off on Christmas Day 2005.
Sarah Blakely, the oldest of three children, died in the family home at Tawlaught, Ballyheelan, Kilnaleck, Co Cavan, three days before her 25th birthday.
Cavan coroner Dr Mary Flanagan told the jury that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided that no charges were to be issued.
The jury heard that the Blakely family had eaten their Christmas dinner before the shooting happened at about 1.20pm. After dinner, Sarah went into an adjoining room to rest on the couch. Her youngest brother Alan (21) was in the room watching television.
In his statement which was read to the jury, he said Sarah lay on the couch and told him she was "full" after the dinner. She was telling him about a party she was going to that night.
"She was in great form," he said.
He told her he was going shooting and reached behind the couch to take out his double-barrelled shotgun. They were still talking when he picked up the shotgun and swung it around. It went off, hitting his sister in the chest. His sister said "I'm shot" and got up from the couch.
She leaned forward to grab him for support but then collapsed on her back. When he dropped the gun it fired again.
Alan Blakely rang 999 and tried to resuscitate his sister before the gardaí and ambulance service arrived.
In his statement, their father, Elliot, said he heard a bang shortly after Sarah left the dinner table.
He said Alan came running into the kitchen saying Sarah had been shot and he did not mean to do it.
Garda Marcus O'Dowd received a report of a shooting incident at Tawlaught at about 1.37pm. When he called to the scene he was met by Sarah's other brother Clive, who was distraught. He also met Alan Blakely who was "very distressed and crying".
The Cavan Ambulance Service and a doctor on call then arrived, and she was pronounced dead at 2.36pm. The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, conducted a postmortem on St Stephen's Day and found that Ms Blakely had suffered severe internal injuries and had died from a shotgun wound to the chest.
Garda Aidan Dardis, of the ballistics section at the Garda Technical Bureau, told the inquest that there was a fault in the gun as it discharged spontaneously if dropped in a certain way.
He said he had examined "hundreds of shotguns" and this was the first one he had seen that fired if it was dropped in that way. "It's a generic design fault in the weapon," he said.
Dr Flanagan pointed out that it was not the second shot that killed Ms Blakely but she expressed concern that this mechanism could result in an accidental death in another case, perhaps if someone dropped it while out hunting.
The jury returned a verdict of accidental death and recommended that this make and model of gun should be tested and that all shotguns used in this country should have an automatic safety device fitted.
Garda Supt Fergus Healy said he would write to the manufacturer of the weapon and inform them of the recommendation.
Dr Flanagan told the family that they had her "deepest personal sympathy" at this "most tragic and unfortunate event".
"I know how it must impact on you as a family, and as a community," she said. It had always been accepted by everyone that this was "an entirely accidental event", Dr Flanagan said.
She said she had thought about the family on the Christmas Day just passed and said she understood how future Christmases would bring painful memories.