Dolores O’Riordan accidentally drowned in the bathtub of a London hotel while intoxicated by alcohol in January (18), an inquest has heard.
The Cranberries frontwoman was found dead in a London hotel room at the age of 46 in January, and at the time, the police stated that her death was not being treated as suspicious.
No further details about her cause of death had been revealed until Thursday (06Sep18), when the inquest took place at Westminster Coroner’s Court in London on what would have been the Irish star’s 47th birthday.
The inquest heard that O’Riordan, who had been in London for a recording session, was found face up in the bathtub by a maid at the Hilton on Park Lane hotel at about 9am on 15 January. Police officer Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, said she was submerged “with her nose and mouth fully under the water.” She was declared dead at 9.16am.
O’Riordan had been drinking heavily before she was found dead. Toxicology tests showed she had 330mg per 100ml of blood, more than four times over the legal driving limit, in her system at the time. Five empty miniature bottles from the mini bar were found along with a 35cl bottle of champagne.
They also found that an entire pack of cigarettes had been smoked and some prescription drugs, including anxiety medication lorazepam, had been used. Toxicology tests showed only “therapeutic” amounts of medication in O’Riordan’s blood.
The court heard how the Linger singer had struggled with bipolar disorder and ongoing drinking, and had composed a suicide note in September 2017 while drinking heavily and taking lorazepam. However, U.S. doctor Robert Hirschfield, who had spoken to her over the phone on 26 December, said in his psychiatric report that she was “doing well”, had no suicidal thoughts and “was not drinking”.
Coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled the death an accident, naming her cause of death as drowning due to alcohol intoxication.