Police errors before wife's death

Roger Goswell attacked his wife Susan with a knife and mallet

Police made mistakes in dealing with calls from a woman who was later bludgeoned and stabbed by her mentally-ill husband, an inquest has heard.

Roger Goswell, 66, killed himself in a car crash hours after his wife Susan, 63, was stabbed to death at their home in West Chiltington on 23 December.

Two calls to Sussex Police that should have been recorded as domestic violence incidents were not, the coroner heard.

Det Supt Graham Bartlett said steps had been taken to prevent similar errors.

The inquest in Chichester heard that on 29 November, Mrs Goswell's son Joseph phoned police to report aggressive threats made to his mother by her husband.

Call 'hidden'

But Mrs Goswell took over the call and told the operator she had other things to do, and so no serial log was created, the inquest heard.

Mr Bartlett said the effect was that the call was "hidden" and not linked to other calls made later.

On 30 November, Mrs Goswell phoned police expressing concern about her husband, but it was recorded as an administrative call.

Susan Goswell was found stabbed to death at the family home

Mr Bartlett said: "The call on 29 November should have been recorded and the call on 30 November should have been flagged or recorded as a domestic violence incident and there should have been a history marker placed on her home."

He added: "I regret that Sussex Police made these errors and we have taken steps towards stopping these things happening again, as far as is possible."

Previously, the inquest heard that Mr Goswell killed his wife after she revealed she was not a virgin when they married.

Mr Goswell was admitted to St Richard's Hospital in Chichester last November after he attempted suicide by trying to gas himself in his car in his garage.

'Low esteem'

A day later he was detained under the Mental Health Act while he underwent psychiatric assessment.

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Helen Leegood told the inquest that during his assessment he confided in her about his problems.

"Mr Goswell was clearly a man who projected an image to the outside world that people would like to see and that image was of a confident, professional man.

"Behind the mask, he was a man of low esteem, a glass-half-empty man. He most envied people who had contentment and, despite the trappings of success, he never found that contentment," she said.

The inquest was adjourned until 4 November at Worthing Town Hall.