A former detective testified before a coroner today that a murder inquiry into a grandmother’s death on an NHS stroke ward was “seriously compromised” due to delays in alerting authorities.

Valerie Kneale, aged 75, was characterized as alert and conversational upon her admission to Blackpool Victoria Hospital on November 12, 2018, following a stroke and a broken ankle sustained in a fall at her residence.

However, her condition rapidly worsened overnight, prompting her devastated family to consent to withdrawing life support after being informed she would likely remain in a vegetative state indefinitely.

It was not until three weeks afterward that police began investigating her death, with a post-mortem revealing that the retired clerical worker succumbed to a “forceful sexual assault” occurring at least 48 hours before she died.

Detectives were already carrying out an ongoing probe into allegations of mistreatment and neglect on the stroke ward. 

But no one has ever been charged over Mrs Kneale’s death.

After police scaled back the criminal investigation earlier this year, an inquest began today into the pensioner’s death.

The inquiry discovered that after Mrs. Kneale’s death on November 16, 2018, healthcare staff observed bleeding while preparing her body for the mortuary, but they neglected to report the finding.

No one had noticed it before her death – possibly due to clotting, or the position she was in, the inquest in Blackpool heard.

Retired Det Chief Inspector Jill Riley said this had ‘seriously compromised’ the murder investigation.

It meant opportunities were missed such as a forensic examination of her room because it had already been occupied by other people.

Additionally, CCTV had been wiped from cameras and her clothing had been disposed of.

Access to the stroke unit – via a door activated by a buzzer system – was also poorly monitored, with staff ‘tailgating’ colleagues, she said.

‘The delay was significant and affected any investigation we could carry out,’ the retired detective told the hearing.

Dr Christopher Douglass, a consultant neurologist, said he had been shocked at gaps in case notes during Mrs Kneale’s time in hospital.

There was a five-hour gap between her family leaving on her first night in hospital and a 21-hour gap the following day.

‘There were lots of steps in her notes where we don’t know how we got from there to there,’ he said.

‘There is a fog.’

Her daughter Sharon told the inquest that on her second day in hospital Mrs Kneale started scratching her chest and her groin.

‘Staff told me it was probably involuntary movement but I think she was trying to indicate or tell us something,’ she said.

‘I regret that I left her alone in hospital that Monday.

‘I question myself “Why didn’t I stay?”

‘I never saw mum open her eyes again.’

The family later found a towel had been placed between her legs for unexplained reasons.

A statement was read from Mrs Kneale’s husband Bill – who has since died – saying his wife had never wanted to be a burden on anyone.

‘We made the heartbreaking decision to let nature take its course,’ he said.

The inquest continues.