The daughter of a woman beheaded in a Spanish supermarket wept as a coroner described how she was unable to defend herself against the “abhorrent” attack.
Retired road safety worker Jennifer Mills-Westley, 60, originally from Norwich, was shopping in a Chinese-owned supermarket in the resort of Los Cristianos on May 13 2011 when she was attacked.
A Spanish jury later ruled that Deyan Deyanov was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the murder, and he was sentenced to 20 years in a secure psychiatric unit in Seville.
Today her daughter Sarah Mills-Westley attended an inquest at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, Norwich, with other family members.
Coroner Jacqueline Lake read out excerpts of the jury’s verdict, saying Ms Mills-Westley had been rendered defenceless by the brutality of the attack.
She added: “Mr Deyanov picked up a ham slicing knife from a shelf.
“He attacked her from behind, stabbing her repeatedly in the neck until her head was completely severed.
“He then picked up her severed head and walked outside.
“Her capacity to react and defend herself or even run away was completely impaired by the defendant.
“He ensured he could kill his victim without any risk to himself.”
Ms Lake said post-mortem reports showed Ms Mill-Westley bled to death.
She added that the court found Deyanov had been in an “acute” phase of his schizophrenia at the time, meaning he could not discern reality.
The coroner returned a narrative conclusion that Ms Mills-Westley died after an attack by a person she did not know from which she could not defend herself.
“This was an absolutely abhorrent event,” she added.
The family declined to comment as they left the inquest.
Deyanov had previously been admitted to the Ablett psychiatric unit at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, near Rhyl, in June 2010 while he stayed at a relative’s home in Flint.
An independent report published by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales concluded there were “clear shortcomings” relating to the care provided in North Wales.
It said: “It is difficult to determine how these deficiencies may have directly influenced and led to the events of May 2011.
“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 report, Sarah and her sister Samantha, said that had staff not missed his serious medical problems, their mother may still be alive today.
They added: “The Health Inspectorate of Wales report has highlighted a number of significant basic medical best practice failures. These failings are far worse than we had imagined.
“We are shocked to learn that the clearly prejudicial views of the medical staff severely compromised the diagnosis and therefore subsequent treatment of Deyan Deyanov.”