An inquest into the death of a woman fatally stabbed by her ex partner heard today how the first police officer on the scene described it as the “worst I’ve ever seen”.
Concepta Leonard, 51, died at her home in Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh in May 2017. Her son, Conor, who has Down’s syndrome and was 30 at the time, was also injured in the attack.
Ms Leonard’s former partner, Peadar Phair, 55, later took his own life in an apparent murder-suicide.
Read more: Concepta Leonard inquest told how she was "petrified" in run-up to her death
The third day of the inquest heard from the first officer to enter the property, who explained that when police receive a report of an incident involving a weapon a separate sector known as Incident Control and dubbed ‘Silver Command’ take over and communicate instructions on how the scene should be handled.
He described arriving within around five minutes of being alerted to the emergency, finding Conor in a blood-stained tee-shirt. The inquest heard that on inspection the officer discovered Conor had been stabbed in the stomach and while tending to this the officer tried to establish if there was anyone else in the house.
Conor, traumatised and in shock, was able to say “Mummy” and “bedroom”.
He then “repeated ‘Paedar Phair’ over and over again, while making a cutting motion with his finger across his throat,” the officer said.
The hearing was told that more police then arrived and the officer observed them checking the rear of the house. Meanwhile he received instructions from Silver Command to enter the house so drew his gun and issued numerous warnings of “armed police”.
He and another officer moved through the house and initially found nothing out of place until they entered Concepta’s bedroom.
The officer said: “I saw a large number of apparent blood spatters inside the doorway and more on the duvet on the bed. I saw a female lying on her left side between the bed and en-suite bathroom. She was facing me. I was in no doubt she was dead.”
The officer radioed that he had found Concepta and was instructed to exit the house and not re-enter in order to preserve evidence at the crime scene.
On leaving by the front door, the officer’s colleague shouted for assistance, having discovered Phair dead in the garage. The officer assisted his colleague in performing CPR and noticed blood on Phair’s right hand and his shirt. He felt warm to the touch but there appeared to be no pulse, the inquest heard.
A Rapid Response paramedic arrived, followed quickly by an ambulance and the medical crews worked on Phair for some 30-40 minutes during which the officer assisted by alternating with colleagues to provide CPR.
Phair was removed to hospital where efforts to save him continued but he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Asked by counsel for the coroner if it was fair to say this was a deeply distressing scene which confronted him, the officer replied, “Yes… It was the worst I’ve ever seen”.
The inquest resumes next week.
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