‘Brilliant’ mum, 30, found dead in outhouse after mysteriously leaving her home in middle of night in freezing cold
A “BRILLIANT” mum was found dead in an outhouse after leaving her sister’s home in the middle of the night.
Danielle Geraghty, 30, died after mysteriously going outside in the freezing cold in Swindon on December 12, 2023, an inquest heard.
She had been staying with her half-sister Nicola, and the pair spent most of the night talking.
An inquest heard Danielle, from Walcot, had been upset over relationship issues and was struggling to cope with her dad’s ill health.
In a statement read out by the coroner, Nicola recalled how she tried to console Danielle.
But she did say the mum-of-one, who had an eight-year-old daughter, was looking forward to Christmas and the festive season.
The pair shared drinks and enjoyed the evening together but Nicola said she was still worried about Danielle.
When Nicola woke up early the next morning Danielle had gone, and she reported her missing.
Danielle was last been seen being dropped off by a taxi in the middle of the night.
Police tragically discovered her body on December 14, and launched a probe into her death.
It is not known why she was in the outhouse but cops found no evidence of injuries or any suspicious circumstances.
Danielle’s friend Bobbi Nicholles set up a fundraiser after the tragedy.
Paying tribute Bobbi said: “We just want people to know how loved she was, she had an 8-year-old daughter who she would have done anything and everything for, she’s always lived in the Walcot area so it’s a very sad time for the community.
“She was just a beautiful person inside and out and would have helped anyone.”
“Danielle was loud, bubbly and lived for a good time, she always brought a smile into the room and with her around it was never a dull moment.
“She was a brilliant mother who always had her daughter’s best interests at heart and was just lush to be around all the time.”
The inquest heard how Danielle had been seeking help from the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership before her death.
Dr Kalaiselvan Ramasamy, who worked for the Swindon Primary Care Liaison Service at the time, told the court Danielle had been urgently referred in November.
She was due to attend an appointment on the day after her death and mental health services had found she was willing to work with them.
Area Coroner Singleton did not rule that Danielle intended to take her own life.
He recorded her death had been caused by a combination of alcohol toxicity and exposure to cold.
While Danielle had not drunk a fatal amount of alcohol, it likely made her more vulnerable to the cold.