Katy French - rest in peace

Model Katy French dies in hospital

Model Katy French has died five days after collapsing at a party in Co Meath.

Ms French (24) was taken to Our Lady's Hospital in Navan after she became ill at a friend's house in Ashbourne in the early hours of Sunday morning last.

Family and friends had been keeping a vigil at her bedside.

But a statement issued this evening by her family said she   had passed away peacefully in the arms of her sister Jill and alongside her parents earlier this evening.

The family said they had been overwhelmed by the letters, blessings, gifts and prayers from people all over the country during Katy's time in hospital.

"It gave us strength and helped Katy so much. Although we did not get our yearned for miracle, all the expressions of love you sent her were powerfully healing in different ways," the statement said.

French celebrated her 24th birthday, along with a host of celebrity and media friends, only last Thursday in Dublin's Krystle nightspot.

Well-known for her outspoken views on issues such as abortion and cocaine use, she also came to prominence after taking part in RTé's recent Celebrities Go Wild programme.

Born in Switzerland, French's family moved to Ireland when she was a young girl and settled in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

After her Leaving Certificate she had plans to study psychology but chose a career in modelling instead.

While she has been on the catwalk for years she only came to prominence after the media attention which surrounded the public break-up with her fiance, restaurateur Marcus Sweeney.

It was a launchpad that has seen her secure saturation media coverage over the last year, making her one of Ireland's best-known models.

Mr Sweeney was among the close friends who visited the hospital last night to give support to her family. Gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ms French's collapse.

© 2007 ireland.com

Model Katy French died from 'massive brain damage'

'Traces of cocaine found in body'

Saturday, December 08, 2007   www.BelfastTelegraph.co.uk

The traces of cocaine were found during a medical examination earlier this week while the model lay in a coma.

However, only separate toxicology results will determine if the drug or a mixture of other banned substances were responsible for her death.

It could be some weeks before the results of the toxicology tests are confirmed.

An initial post-mortem examination on the 24-year-old's remains, carried out by the Republic's State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy yesterday, has concluded Ms French died from brain damage.

It is understood the model, who recently admitted she had previous problems with cocaine, had also complained of a kidney infection in the days leading to her death.

Gardai yesterday confirmed that officers from the Irish National Drugs Unit have joined the investigation into the model's death. Members of the Irish National Bureau of Criminal Investigation have also been drafted in to assist the inquiry, headed by Supt Michael Devine in Navan.

The investigation will try to establish if there were any suspicious or criminal circumstances surrounding French's death.

Gardai reportedly plan to interview a number of her friends and showbusiness colleagues who attended her birthday party at a nightclub last Thursday night.

Senior Garda sources said the inquiry will initially proceed in a " discreet" manner to allow French's devastated family time to mourn her death.

Informal inquiries have already confirmed that she became ill while staying at the home of a friend, Kieron Ducie, and his partner on Friday night.

Gardai spoke to the couple on Wednesday and said there was no indication anybody else had been in the house on Friday night or early on Saturday morning.

Detectives will not seek to interview anyone else in connection with French's death until after her funeral, which is unlikely to take place until early next week.

However, if tests confirm that banned substances were a factor in her death, gardai involved in the investigation said they will make "stringent" efforts to bring charges against the dealer who supplied illegal drugs.