Greenock mother and daughter ‘had slashed wrists’

A MOTHER and daughter found seriously injured in a Greenock hotel both died from slash wounds to their wrists, according to the release of their death certificates.

Margaret McDonough, left, and her daughter Nicola both died after being found with slashed wrists at a Greenock hotel. Picture: PA

52-year-old Margaret McDonough and her daughter Nicola, 23, were found in the Premier Hotel in Green, Renfrewshire, on May 10 this year. Msr McDonough, a foster carer, was found on a hotel bed whilst her daughter was found, bleeding heavily, in the corridor outside.

The death certificate for Mrs McDonough states that her death was caused by ‘incised wounds’ to her left arm. Her daughter was also killed by a wound to her left arm.

Police sources said the women are thought to have purchased paracetamol before committing suicide, and whilst toxicology reports are yet to be made public, the y are expected to show high levels of painkillers in both women.

Police have not yet confirmed the cause of death for both women, who were from nearby Paisley.

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: ‘Suicide is part of the investigation and is a line of inquiryt we are looking at.

Officers are speaking to friends and family to try and underatand what has happened in Margaret and Nicola McDonough’s lives leading up to these events.”

He added: “We do know that we are not looking for anyone else in connection with these deaths and we are still appealing for information”.

It was reported that Ms McDonough had a history of self-harm, whilst her mother had reportedly suffered depression following the breakup of her 28-year-marriage in 2008.

The pair were reported missing by concerned relatives on the afternoon of May 9th, after they failed to pick up Mrs McDonough’s two foster children from nursery. They had spent the day travelling around in a red Suzuki car and returned to the hotel in the early hours of Friday morning.

It is still unclear as to what happened in the following hours. Ms McDonough was found seriously injured in the corridor by a fellow hotel guest around 7am on Friday, whilst staff discovered her mother dying in the room.

Mrs McDonough, a former Liberal Democrat council candidate, was pronounced dead on Friday afternoon. Her daughter Nicola was taken to intensive care, dying three days later.