A woman was shot and killed by her husband outside a pub on Valentine’s Day after trying to flee the relationship, an inquest heard.
Lisa Smith, 43, was shot twice in the neck in the car park of The Three Horseshoes on Main Road in Knockholt, Kent, on February 14 this year.
She had told her sister she was leaving her husband Edward Smith earlier that day, and had got on a train from their home in Slough, to stay with family in Kent.
He tracked her down at the Three Horseshoes pub that evening before blocking their car with his and firing four shots with a handgun, Kent and Medway Coroner’s Court heard.
On Wednesday, Area Coroner Katrina Hepburn concluded Ms Smith died from unlawful killing and found “requisite intent from Edward Smith to kill her or cause her really serious harm”.
After killing his wife, Mr Smith, also known as Edvard Stockings, sent voice notes to someone he called “Nana” saying “I’ve shot Lisa she’s dead” before he was seen to jump to his death from the Queen Elizabeth II bridge in Dartford later that evening, the court heard.
In one of the voice notes he said “hopefully I’m going to get into heaven with my wife” after alluding to suicide.
Detective Sergeant James Dolby told the court that Ms Smith was picked up at Orpington station by her friends and sister shortly before they went to the Horseshoe Pub.
Just before 7pm, Ms Smith was in the passenger seat of her friend Nancy’s Seat in the pub car park when her husband arrived, having called her and her friends multiple times while looking for her.
There was a “verbal altercation” between him and Ms Smith’s sister Laura who called him a “narcissist” inside the pub, he got back in his car and left.
Mr Dolby said: “At 18.59 Nancy reverses her Seat onto Harrow Road and stops to speak with Laura.
“Edward manoeuvres his vehicle to stop Nancy from exiting … Effectively Edward has blocked them in.”
The first two shots from his handgun were fired from inside his own vehicle, the court heard.
The coroner said: “He pulled forward in the car and fired a second shot, he was seen to exit the vehicle with arms outstretched holding a handgun and firing a shot through the drivers side car window.”
It was this third shot that caused “fatal damage” to Ms Smith’s neck, before he came around to the passenger side and fired at her again from close range.
“Four shots were fired, the first two from within his vehicle towards the Seat.
“There were no injuries consistent with the trajectory of those first two bullets,” said Ms Hepburn.
On Wednesday morning, Ms Smith’s father asked the detective why they had not driven away after the first two shots.
“You’d have started up and gone, wouldn’t you?” he asked.
“It happened very quickly,” Mr Dolby explained.
Despite CPR from members of the public and emergency services, Ms Smith died from her injuries at 19.42.
Setting out her conclusion, the coroner said: “I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that a short form conclusion of unlawful killing would be safe and appropriate to set out in this manner.
“There was intent to find Lisa Smith after she had left her home address and once she was found the car she was seated in was blocked preventing any exit.”
An inquest into the death of Edward Smith will take place this afternoon.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org to access online chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you
