A 95-year-old man suffering from delirium stabbed his partner of 30 years to death just days after being discharged from hospital without proper care instructions, a coroner's court has heard.
A Tragic Domestic Incident
Ernest Gray, 95, killed his 86-year-old partner Margaret Day at their Herne Bay home in November 2023 in what the coroner described as a "terribly, terribly tragic but fairly unusual case".
The retired fitter and turner stabbed Ms Day approximately 50 times with a large kitchen knife before emerging from their Broomfield Road property covered in blood and telling passersby: "I've murdered her" and "There's been an accident".
Hospital Discharge Failures
Coroner Patricia Harding revealed she would issue a prevention of future deaths report to East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust after hearing that Mr Gray had been discharged from QEQM Hospital in Margate just three days before the killing.
The court heard critical failures in the discharge process, including the family not being informed that Mr Gray's delirium could cause aggressive behaviour. His daughter Jackie had pushed for her father's return home as his condition appeared to improve.
Most significantly, Ms Day - who would become Mr Gray's primary carer - was not involved in any discharge discussions because she wasn't listed as next of kin. The hospital made no effort to contact her about the care her long-term partner required.
The Attack and Aftermath
Police were called to the scene at 3.52pm on November 18, 2023, after Mr Gray was found sitting on a wall outside his home covered in blood. Paramedics arrived twenty minutes later.
Investigating officer DS Kendal Moore described the scene to the court: "Margaret Day walked whilst bleeding out of her bedroom into the corridor and through the lounge. In the hallway, there was a large amount of blood on the floor, suggesting that Margaret Day was likely to have been further assaulted in the hallway, or in the kitchen, when she collapsed."
In addition to the stab wounds, Ms Day suffered blunt force trauma injuries to the back of her head, possibly caused by Mr Gray's walking stick or frame.
Mr Gray died six days later at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford from hospital-acquired pneumonia, with ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease as contributing factors.
Systemic Issues Revealed
The inquest heard that Mr Gray had been admitted to QEQM hospital earlier in November struggling with heart failure and a myocardial infarction, which medical professionals believe caused his hyperactive delirium.
While in hospital, staff documented him as agitated, confused and irrational - frequently refusing food, drink and medication while demanding to be taken home.
Dr Jonathan Purday, a medical director at QEQM who wasn't involved in Mr Gray's original care, told the court that discharging him when they did was "reasonable but maybe not wise".
He acknowledged: "The discharge of frail and elderly patients is not easy. We need to try and improve that as best we can."
Coroner Harding concluded: "If they knew it could cause aggression, they would not have wanted him to come home. The hospital made no effort to contact Margaret Day. The court cannot speculate if events may have been different, but regarding the fact that the carer was not consulted, I am satisfied that these circumstances could cause a similar situation to happen."
The East Kent Hospitals Trust now has 56 days to respond to the coroner's prevention of future deaths report.
