Ella Parker: Pregnant woman unlawfully killed, coroner rules

Image source, Thames Valley Police

Image caption, Ella Parker was five months pregnant with her first child when she was stabbed to death with a screwdriver

A pregnant woman who was stabbed to death by a man who had left a mental health unit two days earlier was unlawfully killed, a coroner concluded.

Ella Parker was stabbed 33 times with a screwdriver at her flat in Milton Keynes on 7 December 2017.

Ryan Blacknell, 28, was detained under the Mental Health Act in 2018 after admitting manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The inquest heard Blacknell was staying with Ms Parker when he killed her.

Ms Parker, who was five months pregnant, was decorating the nursery in her flat in New Bradwell when she was attacked by Blacknell, who was a friend of her brother.

Ms Parker's aunt, Laraine Parker, said the mother-to-be was "most loyal to her friends and family" but unfortunately "that loyalty led to her demise".

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Image caption, The inquest heard Ryan Blacknell believed he was descended from dinosaurs and thought other patients at the unit were going to eat him

Milton Keynes Coroner's Court heard Blacknell's mother called the police on 4 December and told them her son had threatened her with a knife.

He agreed to go to the Campbell Centre inpatient mental health unit but, as he was an informal patient, he was free to leave.

Community psychiatric nurse Celestina Onah, who saw him at the unit, said: "He came across as very psychotic, but was trying his best to cover that up."

But she did not have "concrete reasons" for him to be detained under the Mental Health Act, the inquest heard.

The inquest heard a missing person's report was filed when Blacknell did not return to the centre at 19:00 GMT on 5 December as planned.

Image caption, Steve Fox, of Thames Valley Police, said it was "likely" Blacknell was at Ms Parker's home when officers visited

Steve Fox, of Thames Valley Police's professional standards department, said in a bid to locate Blacknell officers visited Ms Parker's home twice on 6 December as he was known to be a friend of her brother.

The first visit was in the early hours and Ms Parker was not happy to be woken up, the court heard.

When officers returned later, Ms Parker said she had "not seen Ryan Blacknell in ages", but this was "subsequently found to be untrue" as he had been staying at her home, Mr Fox said.

Ms Parker's uncle, Norman Parker, said Blacknell being able to leave the Campbell Centre was a "complete failure".

"I hold them responsible in part for Ella's death," he said.

Dr Stephanie Oldroyd, clinical director for mental health services in Milton Keynes, said changes had since been made to leave arrangements and staff were now "clear on escalation process".

Image source, Google

Image caption, Ms Parker, who was described as a "bright, happy, vivacious young woman", had worked at the Co-op in New Bradwell since she was 16 years old

Blacknell's mother, Roseline Wright, said her son's behaviour changed "dramatically" on 4 December.

She said he had a "really big knife" next to him at her home and said to her "you eat babies".

Ms Wright said her son's behaviour "terrified" her.

Dr Sean Cummings, assistant coroner for Milton Keynes, said Blacknell had a "psychotic illness" and described the incident as an "absolute tragedy".

He said Ms Parker was killed after "being kind, helpful and supportive to someone she didn't realise was very ill indeed".

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