‘MISSED opportunities’ could have prevented the murder of an elderly Studley woman, an inquest has heard.
Ann Mowbray, aged 80, was murdered by her husband Ronald Mowbray, 82, at their Allendale Crescent home on February 17 last year.
The couple were both Jehovah’s Witnesses and at the inquest into Ann’s death, Coroner Sean McGovern heard some two weeks previously Mowbray had told the Elder at the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Kingdom Hall about his plans to murder his wife.
After he had stabbed Ann to death Mowbray telephoned the Elder to tell him what he’d done.
It was only then that the Elder telephoned the police.
The family raised concerns with the Coroner that this information should have been reported as a safeguarding incident and had that occurred, Ann’s death might have been prevented.
The Coroner heard evidence from Elder Stephen Kelly, and considered the findings of the Warwickshire Domestic Homicide Review.
As a result he will be making a prevention of Future Deaths Report to the Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The inquest concluded Ann was unlawfully killed by her husband.
Mowbray was remanded in HMP Hewell, Redditch after he admitted stabbing his wife.
He died, aged 82, on April 1 last year.
The inquest into his death on March 8, 2021 concluded ‘he died from a lack of adequate nutrition and hydration, due in part to his wilful refusal to accept adequate food and drink provided to him, but also his difficulty in swallowing food’.
The couple’s son Duncan Mowbray, who had regularly assisted his parents with medical care and shopping, had no idea his father was considering killing his mother. He said: “I am relieved that both the inquests are now complete,
“I remain devastated by the loss of both my parents in such awful circumstances.
“Particularly as I feel that there were missed opportunities to prevent this happening.”
