A Dubliner undergoing transgender treatment died by suicide, an inquest heard.

Nikita Keane (26) was found hanging in her home at The Coppice, Woodfarm Acres, Palmerstown in Dublin 20 on July 16 last year.

She was undergoing transgender treatment and had changed her name by deed poll. Throughout the inquest held at Dublin Coroner’s Court, Ms Keane was referred to by her birthname Keith Hannigan at the request of the family.

The inquest heard that Ms Keane was discovered by childhood friend George Langan when he and his partner went to visit at around 5pm.

He said that the curtains in the window were pulled closed which was unusual and when his partner knocked on the door, she got no answer. He climbed onto a flat roof to investigate further and, from there, he saw the deceased hanging in the bedroom.

Death had occured a number of hours earlier, the court heard, with a copy of that morning’s Star newspaper found in the house and bills paid at the post office first thing in the morning. A goodbye note was also found.

At post-mortem, the pathologist gave the cause of death as hanging. No drugs, alcohol or medications where found in the toxicology screen.

The inquest heard that the deceased had attended Tallaght Hospital in June 2012 having been the the victim of a serious assault from which she made a full recovery.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said that reports from the hospital indicated that the deceased was known to doctors as “Ms Nikita Keane”.

The deceased had been undergoing transgender treatment at Loughlinstown Hospital, he said.

He told the family the death would be registered under the legal name of Nikita Keane with the birth name included in brackets to connect it to the birth certificate.

He returned a verdict of death by suicide.

If anyone is affected by issues in this article, they can contact Samaritans Ireland on Lo-call 1850 60 90 90.

Online Editors