Coroner Penelope Scofield recorded a verdict of unlawful killing for Susan Goswell who was stabbed to death by her mentally-ill husband on December 23 last year.

A narrative verdict was recorded for Mr Goswell who died when he crashed his Smart car into a tree near the couple's home the same night.

Following the inquest at Worthing Town Hall, the couple's family criticised police and the health care Mr Goswell received leading up to the tragedy.

Threats

During the four-day hearing it emerged that Roger Goswell told a nurse that he planned to kill his wife and himself, just weeks before carrying out the threat.

It was also revealed that a doctor decided not to meet Susan Goswell to discuss her fears that her husband would kill her. Mr Goswell had tried to commit suicide in November, and was treated at the Harold Kidd mental health unit in Chichester.

On Tuesday (November 3), nurse Steven Barry told the inquest Mr Goswell described to him a plan to kill his wife when she came to visit him.

Mr Goswell said he would use the footboard from his bed to bludgeon her, then stab her with a glass bottle he had in his room.

He said he would then kill himself, and that the only reason he had not done this was the fear that nursing staff would stop him before he could take his own life.

'Fantasy'

Coroner Penelope Schofield heard Mr Goswell later dismissed the plan as a "fantasy", and told doctors he no longer had thoughts about harming his wife.

The inquest also heard that days before the tragedy, Mr Goswell was being treated at The Priory, a mental health clinic in Hove.

Dr Glen Berelowitz, a consultant at The Priory, said Mrs Goswell had wanted to talk to him without her husband present.

However, he told the inquest he had been concerned that having a private meeting with her would stir up suspicion and hostility from Mr Goswell.

Keep checking the website for more from the inquest and reaction to the verdict.

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