Inquest into the death of Penelope Ann BLUME

In the inquest into the death of Penelope Ann Blume, the Chief Coroner Theakston considered the circumstances surrounding her death and the implications for those involved. Penelope Blume, a 68-year-old woman diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (MND), died on 15 March 2019 under circumstances that suggested she had taken steps to end her life. The coroner examined the actions of her partner, Stephen Neil O’Riordan, who had been charged with assisting her suicide but later had the charges withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The legal issues before the court involved determining the cause and manner of Penelope Blume's death, as well as the impact of related criminal proceedings on the coronial process. The coroner had to decide whether Penelope's death could be classified as a suicide and whether Mr. O’Riordan played an active role in facilitating it. The court also needed to address the broader implications of voluntary assisted dying laws in the Australian Capital Territory.

In his findings, Chief Coroner Theakston concluded that Penelope Blume died from plastic bag asphyxia, with MND being a contributing but not causative factor. The coroner determined that Penelope's death was a suicide as she intended to end her life, although the evidence did not definitively implicate Mr. O’Riordan in causing her death. The coroner emphasized the importance of allowing families and friends to spend time with a deceased loved one post-investigation and highlighted the limitations on the ACT Legislative Assembly's ability to legislate on voluntary assisted dying due to federal laws. The coroner found no matter of public safety arising from this inquest and directed that his findings be published on the Coroner's Court website.