Bodies of Sinead Higgins and son Oisin, seven, found dead at west London home Police say that they do not believe anyone else was involved in the deaths Mother posted concerning message on Twitter shortly before her death Nurse had worked at London hospitals before studying medical law A popular nurse murdered her seven-year-old son before killing herself as she plunged into depression just days before Christmas The bodies of Sinead Higgins, 37, and her son Oisin were found when officers broke down the door after relatives raised the alarm. Police said they do not believe anyone else was involved in the tragedy at their rented £500,000 west London home. Neighbours said Miss Higgins was embroiled in an acrimonious split from her barrister partner and had been struggling to make ends meet. Sinead Higgins, left, 'killed herself and her son Oisin O'Driscoll', seven, right, at their home in west London Ms Higgins, pictured with her son, centre, and former partner Shane O'Driscoll, right, is understood to have worked as a nurse for 11 years before becoming a law student A final tweet posted by Ms Higgins on December 9 suggested she felt her future was uncertain Just five days before her death, Miss Higgins, who is originally from Ireland, posted a cryptic tweet comparing her life to a tornado. It read: 'The future looks very...' followed by a tornado emoji. Despite describing herself as a 'fun person' and 'mama to precious Oisin', the message came amid a blizzard of downbeat comments. The tragedy was uncovered on Wednesday morning when police forced their way into her home in Ruislip, west London. RELATED ARTICLES Residents said her former boyfriend Shane O'Driscoll, 40, had been seen sitting outside the house after Oisin failed to turn up at his Catholic primary school. They believe the mother and son may have been lying dead since the weekend when they were last seen in public. Barbara Lunnon, who lives nearby, said: 'She's going to be really missed, she was a lovely girl. 'When she first came here two years ago she was really bubbly but gradually she got more and more depressed. 'I think it was because of her boyfriend and life in general getting on top of her. A neighbour said Ms Higgins was 'a lovely girl' and her son was 'a very happy little boy' +9 Ms Higgins, once a nurse at London hospitals, also posted this selfie on Instagram last month 'She also said the landlord had put up the rent and she didn't know how she could pay for it. 'She would just wear jeans and a long brown coat and looked untidy, she didn't really make an effort any more. 'It was so sad to see. I told her there are people who can get you help, but I don't think she ever went. 'She used to do shift work I think at the Chelsea Hospital because she said she used to treat the professional players when they got injured, like Chelsea and Arsenal players. 'But towards the end she didn't go into work anymore because she was too ill.' +9 +9 Detectives but do not think anyone else was involved in the deaths of the mother and son +9 Ms Higgins posted messages about her love for her son in the weeks before her death Describing Miss Higgins' son, Mrs Lunnon added: 'He was a very happy little boy. I used to see him got picked up by other parents from the school to go and play football.' Miss Higgins was a qualified general nurse who had worked as a medical legal adviser and at the prestigious Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. On one online profile, she said she worked as a 'clinical negligence litigation executive' at a large firm and had a legal qualification. In the days and weeks before her death she posted a series of gloomy mottos, including: 'If you were in my shoes, you'd fall at the first step.' In a photograph posted online less than a month ago, Miss Higgins shared a selfie with her young son adding the hashtag 'togetherforever.' Public records also show that she had a £2,926 county court judgment against her over an unpaid debt. Originally from Westport, County Mayo, Miss Higgins was from a large and well-known family. Her father Tom, a farmer and fencing contractor, died two years ago. She is survived by five brothers and three sisters. Another brother, Cathal, died in a motorcycle accident in 2004. +9 A neighbour said the street is in shock at the deaths and that the mother and son will be missed +9 They were found in their house in The Fairway in Ruislip, west London yesterday morning Mrs Lunnon added: 'A month ago I had an hour's chat down the road with her. 'She was just chatting, she wanted to get some air and she didn't know which shop she wanted to go to. 'She said things were going wrong and she could not cope any more. I said 'go in and see somebody'. She replied 'I've got it in hand.' 'The state of mind she was in ... towards the end her appearance you could see all her face was spotty. 'It was not like the glam girl I first saw when she first came here. She used to wear really high heels, dressed smart, it was a complete contrast.' A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the deaths are being treated as 'unexplained'. Post mortem examinations will take place today (FRI). Det Insp Dave Bolton appealed for neighbours and friends of Miss Higgins to get in touch with any information about her movements. He said: 'The investigation is at a very early stage but inquiries so far lead us to believe there is a likelihood that the tragic events that led to the deaths do not involve a third party.' source
