Valerie Kneale, 75, was admitted to hospital after falling from a kitchen chair at her home. Just four days later, she was dead, and a murder investigation was launched
The inquest into the death of a woman who died on the stroke unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital in November 2018 has reached its third day.
Valerie Kneale, 75, had been admitted to hospital in November 2018 after falling from a kitchen chair at her home in Knott End on Sea.
But a murder investigation was launched by Lancashire Constabulary when it was revealed Valerie had died from a haemorrhage caused by a non-medical related internal injury.
Here, The Mirror takes a look at everything we know so far about Valerie’s tragic death…
What happened?
The 75-year-old gran had been at home with husband Bill, when she had a stroke during her evening meal and was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, on November 12, 2018.
Her family initially believed she had suffered “a minor stroke” and felt reassured it would not be fatal.
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Before being taken to hospital, Valerie had joked with Bill when he told her not to “do anything stupid.”
She replied: “Like die? Don’t be so bloody stupid.” Bill, their son Mike, and daughter Sharon rushed her to A&E on Monday, November 12. At hospital, Valerie’s ankle was put in a cast and scans confirmed a bleed on her brain.
Relatives said she appeared to be talking normally and had accepted she had suffered a stroke when they left her that evening. By the afternoon she was sat up on bed and was talking to her grown-up and children, who thought they were leaving her in safe hands.
That evening, Valerie had another stroke and never regained consciousness. The family were told she might be transferred to Royal Preston Hospital for surgery, but that if she survived, she would likely remain in a “vegetative state” and dependent on 24-hour nursing care.
Bill said: “We made the heart-breaking decision to let nature take its course. It was a horrendous decision to make and I cried uncontrollably.” Valerie had previously told family members she never wanted to lose her independence or be a burden to anyone. She was transferred to a private room but the family noticed she was making “painful whimpering noises” and scratching at her chest and thigh area.
“A staff member said it was an involuntary movement but looking back I believe she was trying to indicate or tell us something”, Sharon said. That day, Valerie also made two statements – “no response” and “babies do that”.
“The phrases were not something mum would normally say”, Mike said. “I thought they might have been the last thing she heard. I was worried because I wasn’t expecting to hear anything because she was in a comatose state. Sharon mentioned it to a member of staff who said it was normal.”
Mrs Kneale had also been fitted with a catheter, although there had been no discussion with the family about the procedure, the inquest heard. The family remained by her bedside until she died on Friday, November 16. On Thursday her daughter Sharon noticed a rolled up towel had been placed between her mum’s legs.
“I thought it was to catch drips from the catheter or to stop her legs chafing. To this day I am none the wiser as to who put the towel there or why. There was never a conversation about the towel. It was literally a chance finding.
“I regret that I left mum alone in the hospital on Monday evening”, she added. “I question myself why I didn’t just stay. I never saw my mum again with her eyes open after that.”
A post mortem confirmed Mrs Kneale had suffered a significant right frontal cerebral haemorrhage, however Home Office Pathologist Dr Alison Armour did not feel this was the cause of death. She concluded Mrs Kneale died as a result of internal and external injuries “caused by a forcible sexual assault after she was admitted to hospital”.
Harrowing discovery
Healthcare assistants tasked with preparing Mrs Kneale’s body for the mortuary discovered “blood everywhere” with extensive bleeding from her genital area after she died on November 16, 2018.
They reported it to nursing staff but were told to “clean her and place her in a body bag”, the inquest was told on Monday. However, detectives investigating allegations that vulnerable patients were being unlawfully sedated on the unit asked for Mrs Kneale’s body to be returned from the funeral home for further investigations.
On December 4, 2018, Dr Alison Armour conducted a Home Office post-mortem and discovered a more sinister cause of death. Mrs Kneale’s cause of death had been recorded as a bleed to the brain, manifesting as a stroke. But the pathologist discovered a large wound to the vaginal wall and concluded Mrs Kneale died from an internal haemorrhage.
She said the injury had occurred at least 48 hours before death at a time Mrs Kneale was a patient at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.
Who did it?
A healthcare professional arrested in 2021 on suspicion of murder was later eliminated from the investigation.
After a seven year investigation which has seen local and national media appeals, an appearance on Crimewatch and a £20,000 reward, detectives are unable to identify the person responsible for the injury.
“All possible lines of enquiry have been looked at and considered but the evidence to bring a criminal prosecution against an individual or individuals isn’t there”, coroner Alan Wilson said.
“Whilst enquiries have ceased the case will always remain open and has been transferred to the major crime unit.”
Detectives launched a murder enquiry but due to the delay, vital evidence had been destroyed.
Det Ch Insp Jill Riley told the inquest at Blackpool Town Hall that CCTV had overrun and been wiped from the system. The room and bed Mrs Kneale had occupied had been cleaned and used by other patients and Mrs Kneale’s clothing had been destroyed.
Medical notes were also missing or incomplete with large gaps – including the time between the Kneale family leaving on Monday November 12 and her deterioration the next day. The door to the stroke unit was often propped open and visitors could access the ward by “tailgating” staff, the inquest heard.
Det Ch Insp Riley said: “Had we, the police, been alerted to concerns (about bleeding) that Friday, November 16, we would have had more forensic opportunities from inside the room and Valerie’s body and clothing. We are conscious staff members deal with patients day in, day out, and their recollection of Valerie’s care would have been compromised.
“One of the challenges of this investigation was to seek to understand how nobody seemed to know that this injury existed.”
