Kirkwood mum’s “shock” at state of son’s face

Jan 12 2011 by Gordon Robertson, Airdrie & Coatbridge

Daniel Brennan

A GRIEF-STRICKEN mum was left distressed after finding her dead son in a “‘horrific” state at a Coatbridge funeral home.

Agnes Brennan, from Stirling Street, Kirkwood, claims that undertakers Donald McLaren, in Sunnyside Road, didn’t prepare her son Daniel’s body to a satisfactory standard.

But the long-established firm, which has branches in Coatbridge and Airdrie, dispute Mrs Brennan’s claims which she has now taken to the National Association of Funeral Directors.

The 73-year-old said she and her other son Kevin were shocked when they saw Daniel’s body at the funeral home in the days after he passed away, aged 53, at Monklands Hospital following a short period of illness.

Mrs Brennan said: “I pulled the shroud back and saw him in a body bag and covered in blood and fluid going from one shoulder to another. The smell was atrocious.

“His face and neck were swollen and bruised beyond recognition and I can assure you that when I left my son at the hospital, his face was in no way disfigured or marked.

“I was totally shocked at the state of my son’s body.

“It was horrific. I’ll never get the picture out of my head.”

Daniel’s sister Marian McAloon (40) was also shocked at the change in her brother’s appearance.

She said: “I saw Daniel at the hospital after he died and his face was fine. When I saw him at the funeral home a few days later, it didn’t look anything like him.”

Mrs Brennan also claims that the lid on Daniel’s coffin was not screwed down properly and that one of the pall bearers’ jackets was soaked by a fluid “which must have come from the coffin”.

Donald McLaren are believed to have offered to waive the embalming fee following complaints from Mrs Brennan.

She wrote to the National Association of Funeral Directors to highlight what she considers a “lack of professionalism”.

The pensioner was also unhappy at how her complaint to McLaren’s was handled.

Mrs Brennan has used the firm before and had previously no cause for complaint.

She said: “I have used McLaren several times in the past and their service has always been first-class. However, it was evident on this occasion they were struggling to provide the high standards I would expect.”

Undertakers manager Brian Parr said yesterday: “Donald McLaren Ltd has served both communities of Airdrie and Coatbridge for almost 100 years and are totally professional in all our dealings with bereaved families.

“We are co-operating fully with Mrs Brennan regarding any investigation about her complaints which we absolutely deny.

“We are confident that any finding will exonerate this company from any shortfall in our professional standards.”