Emma McManus, 40, died suddenly from "unnatural" causes that were allegedly "cocaine-associated" a coroner’s report revealed.
The death of the popular mother of three young children in Barbados on December 30, 2020, stunned her friends and family on the island for Christmas.
She was the "beloved wife of John and mother of their adored children Milly, Lauren and Annie" a funeral notice on Rip.ie read.
Her death notice added that she was deeply regretted by her heartbroken parents and parents-in-law, Peter and Paula, JP and Noreen, her grandmother Veronica, siblings Juliet, Katie and Nick, brothers-in-law Bobby, Kieran and Cian, sisters-in-law Sue Ann and Ann Marie, Matt, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and many friends.
Mrs. McManus, née Ledbetter, was found dead at the family-owned Barbados villa of Jane’s Harbour, adjacent to the Sandy Lane Hotel resort owned by JP McManus and his Irish business partners. She lived in Kensington, London, with her husband, John McManus, and their children.
The McManus family has disputed the finding, alleging that coroner Magistrate Graveney Bannister issued his verdict in breach of an undertaking not to do so while a legal appeal continues by the McManus family.
In his ruling, Magistrate Bannister found that, taking all the evidence into consideration, "the death of Emma McManus was a cocaine-associated death and unnatural."
JP McManus.
In a statement, the McManus family told the Sunday Independent that the legal proceedings in Barbados, which include an inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Emma McManus, are currently before the Court of Appeal [Supreme Court] of Barbados.
The McManus statement added: "The decision of Coroner Bannister is not correct and we reject it for a number of reasons, including his reliance on matters for which there was no evidence; scientifically, factually or otherwise."
The verdict on Emma’s death has been delayed more than three-and-a-half years due to legal proceedings. The official postmortem examination was carried out by Dr Corinthia Dupuis. Mr Bannister recorded that Mrs McManus was well until she was found "propped up in bed and unresponsive". His report complains that there was cleaning of the scene, despite his instructions not to do so.
Attempts to resuscitate Mrs. McManus at a nearby medical center were unsuccessful. An inquest commenced following her death but toxicology results were awaited. According to Dr. Dupuis, death was due to aspiration, the entry of material into the respiratory system, and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) but this was secondary to an "undetermined cause pending toxicology analysis," the Sunday Independent reported.
The pathologist also noted that "tracks were seen on the body" which are associated with "a history of drug use." The McManus family arranged a second independent postmortem examination carried out by Dr Stephen Jones. Dr Jones found the cause of death was "indeterminate," but concluded the medical cause of death was "asphyxiation from aspiration of food."
The coroner said he received police statements relevant to the circumstances in which the body was discovered. Mr. Bannister said the toxicology analysis "indicates traces of cocaine. Having regard to all the evidence, the death of Emma McManus was a cocaine-associated death and unnatural," he ruled.
At a hearing on September 4, Mr. Bannister made his findings public. He also said he would send the case file to the director of public prosecutions in Barbados. The McManus family also alleges that the decision was given by the coroner, who has no medical qualifications, without hearing all of the medical expert evidence.
"Based on the proceedings in the Court of Appeal, there was a written undertaking given by Coroner Bannister not to continue the inquest proceedings until after the decision of the Court of Appeal, which has not yet occurred.
"In these circumstances, Coroner Bannister was not entitled to conclude the inquest."
The statement continued that Emma McManus’s family has been advised: "not to comment further on the legal missteps and errors of law and procedure by Mr Bannister until the conclusion of all legal matters in Barbados". Attempts were made to contact the McManus family for comment.
* This article was originally published on Evoke.ie.
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