Domestic homicide review after deaths of Leeds husband and wife

The body of mother-of-two Mrs Ashworth, 47, was discovered with multiple fatal stab wounds after a blaze at a house on Farfield Court, Garforth, on April 29 2014.

Her husband Martin Ashworth, 48, was found in the garden at the property. He had suffered severe burns in the blaze and was pronounced dead in hospital.

A post mortem revealed civil servant Mrs Ashworth had suffered three stab wounds to the right side of her chest.

At a third pre-inquest review hearing in Wakefield today (Mon Oct 31), West Yorkshire Coroner David Hinchliff said a domestic homicide review report has been produced.

Mr Hinchliff said: “I think the outcome and the conclusions are highly relevant to the inquest and will have to be explored.”

Mr Hinchliff said he would also be instructing an independent clinical psychiatrist to produce a report on the care and treatment Mr Ashworth had received.

At inquest openings in March, Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard staff at the Leeds Becklin Centre, a mental health service run by Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, had contacted Mr Ashworth’s GP practice at Gibson Lane in Kippax on March 26 2014.

The inquest was told Mr Ashworth had been admitted to the Becklin Centre after he had attempted suicide. The court heard he was discharged with medication on April 16 and was considered at risk of suicide.

Mr Hinchliff told the pre-inquest review that Mr Ashworth was not subject to being sectioned under the Mental Health Act at the time of his death.

The full inquests are due to get underway at Wakefield Coroner’s Court on January 9 and have been scheduled for three weeks.