An NHS worker killed his partner in a planned attack and spent a week on board a river cruiser with her daughter before drowning himself, an inquest has heard.
The body of hospice nurse Annette Creegan, 49, was found naked, strangled and weighted down in the River Bure on the Norfolk Broads last September. Her partner, John Didier, 41, was found nearby, having drowned himself by tying dumbbells to his limbs and jumping overboard.
The inquest heard that after killing Creegan, Didier remained on the boat with her 13-year-old daughter for six days, telling the girl her mother had left. The girl had no phone or means of escape and was only rescued by a passing Broads ranger when Didier disappeared.
Detectives said Didier had bought the weights and cable ties with the intention of murdering Creegan before leaving Surrey. His motive remains unclear, and there was no evidence of tension in their relationship.
Norfolk coroner William Armstrong recorded a verdict of unlawful killing for Creegan, and a suicide verdict for Didier.
