Beheaded mother was 'defenceless'
Gruesome details have been revealed about the death of a 60-year-old woman, beheaded in a busy Spanish supermarket in 2011.
Jennifer Mills-Westley, originally from the United Kingdom, was buying groceries at a shop in the town of Los Cristanos when a man picked up a ham slicing knife and stabbed her repeatedly in the neck.
He then walked outside holding her severed head.
Deyan Deyanov, a paranoid schizophrenic was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 20 years in a psychiatric unit.
“This was an absolutely abhorrent event,” Coroner Jacqueline Lake said at an inquest into her death.
“Her capacity to react and defend herself or even run away was completely impaired by the defendant,”
“He attacked her from behind, stabbing her repeatedly in the neck until her head was completely severed.
Ms Mills-Westley’s daughter, Sarah, wept as the details were read out.
The court heard Deyanov had previously been admitted to a psychiatric hospital but was released seven months before the brutal attack.
An independent report published by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales found there were ‘clear shortcomings’ in the care provided.
“It is difficult to determine how these deficiencies may have directly influenced and led to the events of May 2011,” the report read.
“However, we do believe that had the issues that we identify within the report been addressed, that the likelihood of such an incident occurring might have been significantly reduced.”
Speaking after the hearing, her family said they believed Ms Mills-Westley would still be alive if her killer had been given adequate medical attention.
“It is hard to put into words the devastating impact that this preventable and needless act has had on our family.”
“Sadly, mum was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
