BBC reports that The Cranberries front woman Dolores O’Riordan died by drowning due to alcohol intoxication, an inquest at Westminster Coroner’s Court has heard. The singer, who died suddenly on 15 January aged 46, was found submerged in the bath in her room at a London’s Park Lane Hilton hotel.
O’Riordan died as a result of a “tragic accident”, the coroner said. She had no injuries or evidence of self harm, and had drunk an excessive amount of alcohol, expert witnesses said. She had been in the Park Lane Hilton hotel as part of a recording trip. She was set to appear on Bad Wolves’ “Zombie” cover, and later in the year work on a new Cranberries album.
PC Natalie Smart, who attended the scene, told the inquest: “I saw Mrs O’Riordan submerged in the bath with her nose and mouth fully under the water.” The inquest heard that there were empty bottles in the room – five miniature bottles and a bottle of champagne – as well as containers of prescription drugs with a quantity of tablets in each container.
Toxicology tests showed only “therapeutic” amounts of medication in O’Riordan’s blood, but showed up 330mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – meaning she was more than four times over the 80mg legal limit for driving.
