The sister of a woman who killed a pensioner by repeatedly striking him to the head with wine bottles and a fire extinguisher “had a feeling something would happen”. Zara Radcliffe, 30, of Porth, had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and was experiencing a psychotic episode when she bludgeoned John Rees, 88, to death at the Co-op store in Penygraig, Rhondda Cynon Taf, on May 5, 2020.
In the first day of an inquest at Pontypridd Coroners’ Court on Monday, July 8, 2024, the hearing heard how after noticing Radcliffe pointing a kitchen knife towards nurse Gaynor Saurin Mr Rees grabbed Radcliffe’s right arm and positioned himself between Radcliffe and Ms Saurin before attempting to kick out at Radcliffe. Radcliffe stabbed Mr Rees, whose wife Eunice, 87, was waiting for him in the car outside oblivious to what was happening inside the shop.
Radcliffe then hit Mr Rees, a retired engineer and a church bell ringer, over the head with two wine bottles and a fire extinguisher. Radcliffe struck Mr Rees more than 20 times as he slowly lost consciousness with each blow. Pathologist Dr Richard Jones told the inquest that he determined Mr Rees’ medical cause of death was severe blunt force trauma to the face including multiple facial fractures.
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Radcliffe, who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia months before the attack, was detained with an indefinite hospital order after admitting to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. During Radcliffe's sentencing in October 2020 Mrs Justice Jefford said she had made that decision due to the risk Radcliffe posed to the general public.
The inquest heard on Monday morning from Radcliffe’s sister Kylie Radcliffe who explained that she had been concerned when her sister had been discharged from the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant in February 2020 when she had been deemed a “low risk to others” despite being diagnosed with schizophrenia and being put on daily medication. Radcliffe had been at the hospital since November 2019.
Advanced nurse practitioner Joshua Jones, who worked at the Royal Glamorgan at the time and often assessed Radcliffe, said he had carried out a risk assessment on her in January 2020. He concluded in that that her psychotic symptoms had "diminished" and that her "thought process was clear and rational...whilst compliant with her medication". Senior coroner Graeme Hughes put to Mr Jones: "Risk of harm to others is reduced but not eliminated?" Mr Jones replied: "I'd say that's correct." For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Kylie Radcliffe told the court in a written statement: “She would say about voices in her head and she’d post dark and lonely things and would talk about how the hospital was in on it and they were in a contract with her ex-boyfriend.” Kylie claimed there was no after care for her sister when her sister left hospital with a prescription for anti-psychotic medication following her new diagnosis. “I had a feeling something would happen,” Kylie added.
The inquest also heard from Radcliffe’s GP Dr Gwyndaf Williams who explained he'd issued one lot of tablets to Radcliffe since she was discharged. Had she been taking her medication properly those tablets should have run out by early April 2020, suggesting Radcliffe might not have been taking the tablets properly in the weeks and months before the incident which resulted in Mr Rees' death. Dr Williams said the surgery could not be expected to ensure Radcliffe was keeping on top of her antipsychotic medication and that he would expect such work to be carried out by the local mental health support team.
He also told the court Radcliffe had tested positive for cannabis and cocaine. She tested positive for cannabis 12 days after her risk assessment in January 2020 and positive for cocaine a day before she was discharged from the Royal Glamorgan in February 2020. The inquest heard how she would take drugs occasionally while on leave from the hospital.
The inquest also heard from Radcliffe’s then partner Leighton Meredith. Mr Meredith said he rarely saw Radcliffe take any tablets but occasionally recalled her taking some in the morning. When told by Mr Hughes that she should have been taking five tablets a day - some in the morning and some in the evening - Mr Meredith said he couldn’t remember Radcliffe taking tablets in the evening at all.
Mr Meredith told police after the incident that sometimes he would have to remind her to take her medication. He said: “She had talked to me about her mental health and in particular how someone was attacking her and that this person would attack her.” After killing Mr Rees Radcliffe told police she was told by the voices in her head that she would have to kill someone to save herself.
In her evidence on Monday Radcliffe's mother Elaine Radcliffe claimed the family were told social workers would visit her daughter regularly but that was not the case. "They said we would have social workers and people coming back and forth," she said. "But that didn't happen. I'm not sure whether that was down to Covid."
In May 2023 Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board apologised for “any instances in which her [Radcliffe’s] care fell short”. An independent review commissioned by Cwm Taf Morgannwg Safeguarding Board concluded “warning signs” of Radcliffe’s “rapid deterioration” were apparent before the pandemic but these were “not recognised or poorly processed”. It said the decision-making capability of Radcliffe was not questioned and there was “no negotiated crisis plan” before she was discharged from hospital.
In February 2024 Mr Rees was honoured with the Queen’s gallantry medal for his bravery during the incident. It was accepted on his behalf by his granddaughter Madeleine Davidson-Houston. Lisa Way and Ayette Bounouri were also awarded Queen's gallantry medals for their efforts to stop Radcliffe. The inquest continues.
