Collins family calls for inquest for missing Sandra

STILL SEEKING ANSWERS The Collins family arriving at Castlebar Court in 2014, during the trial of Martin Earley, who was acquitted of Sandra Collins' murder. From left: Sandra Collin's father, Joe; brother, Patrick; sister, Mary; brother, David; and sister, Bridie. Pic: Keith Heneghan/Phocus

New video adds impetus to campaign

Anton McNulty

THE family of missing Killala woman, Sandra Collins, are confident they will be granted an inquest which they hope will provide them with more answers to what happened to their sister.
Twenty-eight-year-old Sandra Collins went missing from Killala on the night of December 4, 2000, and despite a concerted effort from her family over the last 16 years, she has never been found. However, her name was back in the headlines this week when never before seen video footage of Sandra was shown on RTÉ News.
The Collins family believe that Sandra was murdered and have called on the coroner for the area, Eleanor Fitzgearld, to hold an inquest into her death. It is understood that Gardaí in Ballina are preparing a file to be sent to the coroner, who will ultimately decide on whether an inquest can take place.
Patrick Collins, brother of Sandra, told The Mayo News that he would be ‘extremely confident’ of a inquest being granted and hopes it will take place in the next couple of months. An inquest is held in public and while there is no culpability to anyone giving evidence, Patrick hopes it will shine a light on what happened to Sandra before she went missing.
“Hopefully we will get more answers than we have to date and people will come forward to give evidence. They will then have to give their version of what happened when Sandra went missing. If they have any heart in them at all it is the least that they could do. Every year we have to deal with being denied a death certificate. We want Sandra declared dead and we want her remains back. We want answers to our questions,” he said.
Despite an extensive investigation, her body was never recovered and the only person charged with her murder, Martin Earley of Banagher, Carrowmore-Lacken, was acquitted by direction of the judge following an 18 day trial in 2014.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said in the trial that there was evidence to indicate that Sandra Collins died in December 2000 and it is these comments which the family believe will result in a inquest being granted.
Joe Collins, father of Sandra Collins, died in February and Patrick said it was his death which gave them the extra impetus to push for an inquest.

New video
The call for the inquest came as the family released previously unseen footage of a video showing Sandra enjoying a festival in Killala in August 1995. The video was discovered earlier this year by Marie Sweeney from Killala and shows Sandra with her brother Patrick - when he was only eight years old - talking to Paul Claffey on Mid West Radio.
The 35 second footage is the only video or audio coverage the family have of Sandra and Patrick says it reminds them of what was taken away from them.
“It is all we have of her. We only have our memories of Sandra but as time goes by, your memories shed a bit more every year. Hearing her voice and seeing her again on the video reminds us of what we lost and what was taken from us. We never saw the video before and I didn’t think I’d hear her voice again.
“We have it on the laptop and while it is only around 30 seconds long we have watched it back so many times that I’d be afraid I’d break it. There has been so much pain and torment in the last 15 years, when there should have been so much fun and happiness. There should have been more great days out with her,” he said.