Published Thursday, 09 February 2012
Mr Justice Deeny used new legislation for the first time in Northern Ireland to declare himself satisfied that Dr Deirdre O'Flaherty drowned after going into the sea in Co Donegal.
He was able to make the finding under the Presumption of Death Act 2009 which was brought in to clarify the law and speed up the process.
Before it came into force, the family of a missing person had to wait seven years before obtaining a declaration of death.
Dr O'Flaherty, also known by her maiden name of Deirdre Donnelly, vanished on January 11, 2009 while staying at a holiday home with her husband and their children.
She was known to have suffered from depression, the High Court in Belfast was told.
Her husband Dr Kenneth O'Flaherty, who sought the declaration under the new law, had woken to find she was missing and her BMW car gone.
Later, he received a phone call to say the vehicle had been found at Kinnego Beach.
The judge said: "That was the start of what I consider an overwhelming weight of evidence that this lady did die on this morning."
He pointed out that the car was located on a beach with the keys still in the ignition and a pair of woman's sandals at the pedals.
A medical bag belonging to Dr Donnelly, who worked for the Western Urgent Care Out-of-Hours Practice, was still in the vehicle.
Her husband then found three cards to the children stating: "I will always love you xx Mum".
She had left her wedding and engagement rings at the house along with her mobile phone.
Despite extensive searches no body was found, while a review of the case on the RTE Crime Call programme failed to yield a breakthrough.
Since the disappearance, her credit cards and bank accounts have remained untouched.
The ruling was delivered last month, but only now published.
Mr Justice Deeny stated: "This lady worked, as I have indicated, as a doctor and was the mother of three young children and hers was a happy marriage, but it is right to say that she did suffer from and received medication for depression which can be a very dangerous illness because of the very circumstances that I now find have arisen here.
"I do find that this lady has died," he said.
"I find that she died on 11 January 2009 between 9.00 am and 11.00 am and by 11.00 am having entered the sea at Kinnego Beach, Co. Donegal and subsequently drowned."