As the inquest into the death of Valerie Kneale continues, the Mirror takes a look at all we know about the stroke patient’s final days, including the message family members believe she was desperately trying to share
The inquest continues into the shocking case of Valerie Kneale, a stroke patient who tragically died after being “forcibly sexually assaulted” while in hospital.
Valerie, 75, remembered by family members as a “lovely person”, suffered a minor stroke on November 12, 2018, after slipping from a kitchen chair and breaking her leg at home in Knott End on Sea. Despite her ordeal, the pensioner appeared to be in good spirits, and her family members had every expectation that they could soon bring her home to recover.
While being rushed to A&E, Valerie even took a moment to jokingly scold her husband Bill after he told her not to “do anything stupid”, teasing, “Like die? Don’t be so bloody stupid.”
After Valerie was admitted to Blackpool Victoria Hospital, her ankle was placed in a cast, while scans confirmed there had been a bleed on her brain. When they left her that evening, Valerie’s relatives noted that she was speaking normally. Then things took a devastating turn.
Serious deterioration
The following day, Valerie’s condition had deteriorated alarmingly, with daughter Sharon noticing that she appeared “very agitated”. It was then that her family were given a heartbreaking prognosis. They were informed that a further bleed had occurred overnight, and while Valerie may be transferred to Royal Preston Hospital for surgery, if she survived, she would likely remain in a “vegetative state”, requiring 24-hour nursing care.
Valerie herself had previously made it clear to family members that she never wished to lose her independence. And it was with her wishes in mind that her loved ones faced an agonising decision.
Husband Bill recalled: “We made the heartbreaking decision to let nature take its course. It was a horrendous decision to make, and I cried uncontrollably.”
Two concerning statements
After Valerie was transferred to a private room, her family heard her making “painful whimpering noises” and saw her scratching at her chest and thigh area. On reflection, daughter Sharon believes she may have been trying to communicate.
Sharon remembered: “A staff member said it was an involuntary movement, but looking back, I believe she was trying to indicate or tell us something”. That same day, Valerie also uttered two statements – “no response” and “babies do that”.
Valerie’s son Mike said, “The phrases were not something Mum would normally say. I thought they might have been the last thing she heard. I was worried because I wasn’t expecting to hear anything, because she was in a comatose state. Sharon mentioned it to a member of staff, who said it was normal.”
The inquest, held at Blackpool Town Hall, also heard how Valerie had been fitted with a catheter, despite there having been no discussion with family members about this procedure.
Worrying ‘chance finding’
On Thursday, November 15, Sharon spotted that a rolled-up towel had been placed between Valerie’s legs. She shared: “I thought it was to catch drips from the catheter or to stop her legs chafing. To this day, I am none the wiser as to who put the towel there or why. There was never a conversation about the towel. It was literally a chance finding.”
Opening up about her heartbreaking regret, Sharon added, “I regret that I left mum alone in the hospital on Monday evening. I question myself why I didn’t just stay. I never saw my mum again with her eyes open after that.”
Harrowing post-mortem discovery
On Friday, November 16, Valerie passed away, surrounded by her family. Devastated loved ones had expected the post-mortem to conclude that the retired clerical assistant had died from a stroke, but the truth proved harrowing.
Healthcare assistants tasked with preparing Mrs Kneale’s body for the mortuary discovered “blood everywhere” with extensive bleeding from her genital area. Dr Armour believes that this injury was inflicted “at least 48 hours before death” and that it had occurred after Valerie had been admitted to hospital.
They reported it to nursing staff but were told to “clean her and place her in a body bag”, the inquest was told on Monday. However, detectives investigating allegations that vulnerable patients were being unlawfully sedated on the unit asked for Mrs Kneale’s body to be returned from the funeral home for further investigations.
On December 4, 2018, Dr Alison Armour conducted a Home Office post-mortem and discovered a more sinister cause of death. Mrs Kneale’s cause of death had been recorded as a bleed to the brain, manifesting as a stroke. But the pathologist discovered a large wound to the vaginal wall and concluded Mrs Kneale died from an internal haemorrhage.
‘Significant’ delay
Retired senior investigating officer Jill Riley has asserted that the non-reporting of Valerie’s bleeding had impacted the subsequent murder investigation. Ms Riley stated: “The delay was significant in securing and preserving critical evidence.
“Valerie’s room would have been cleared and used by other patients. There was limited, if any, forensic opportunities. There were no CCTV opportunities in the stroke unit and the wider hospital because the data had over-run and been deleted, while clothing worn by Valerie at the time of death had been disposed of by hospital staff.”
Desperate plea for answers
A male member of staff was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, two offences of rape and one offence of sexual assault in connection with Valerie’s death, but was never charged.
In March 2023, Valerie’s case was highlighted on the BBC Crimewatch Live programme, while Crimestoppers also announced a £20,000 reward for anyone who comes forward with information that leads to a conviction.
Appearing on Crimewatch, Valerie’s niece Lisa Jaffier spoke of the family’s anger that someone could attack her aunt at a time “when she was unable to defend herself”. Fondly recalling her auntie Val, Lisa described her as having been “such a wonderful, lovely person, she was fun, she loved people, she enjoyed life and was the hub of the family and she had this really lovely skill of making you feel so special and so loved”.
Lisa continued: “She was checked over and she was doing ok, she was sat up, communicating, obviously she was going to have challenges in her recovery, but we were all hopeful of a positive outcome. Her children wanted to stay with her that evening, but the hospital said she was in the best place, there is no need, and she is going to be absolutely fine.”
“Losing her left a huge gaping hole in the family, the week before she was fine, then a week later she wasn’t with us any more,” Lisa added. “To think that someone did that to a lovely person at a time when she was helpless, at her most vulnerable, where she couldn’t shout out, she couldn’t defend herself.
At the time of Lisa’s Crimewatch appearance, Detective Chief Inspector Jill Johnston, who is leading the investigation, told the Mirror: “For over four years, Valerie’s family have been left truly devastated by her death – they are desperate for answers and cannot rest until they understand what happened. And at a time when she really was at her most vulnerable.”
The inquest continues.
Anyone with information can call the incident room on 01253 604406 or call CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111.