The murder of a young woman by a recently released prisoner was likely to have been triggered by a severe reaction to illegal drugs, a health watchdog has found.
But an investigation into the murder of Cerys Yemm, 22, by Matthew Williams, 34, after he lured her back to his room in a hostel in south Wales, concluded that despite his history of drug misuse and psychotic episodes the attack could not have been predicted or prevented by health services.
Williams, who had been released from prison weeks before the attack at the Sirhowy Arms in the village of Argoed, near Blackwood, died after a police officer shot him with a Taser.
The review by Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, published on Wednesday, did not identify “any significant root causes or factors that led to the unfortunate and tragic event”.
But it raised concern that Caerphilly council failed to share information with the Sirhowy Arms about the risks the homeless and vulnerable people it placed there might pose, including their prior offending.
Matthews was a prolific offender with 26 convictions for 78 offences, of which 41 resulted in juvenile custody and 14 led to jail terms in adult prisons. He had also been a prolific user of drugs, including cannabis and amphetamines, since adolescence.
Although the report recommended some improvements in the support and monitoring of former prisoners with mental health and drug issues, the inspectors said they did not believe those issues contributed to Yemm’s death.
The review noted that Matthews was likely to require long-term psychiatric care due to his “continuing drug misuse, possible personality disorder and chaotic lifestyle”. His habit of bingeing on drugs was also likely to result in further psychotic episodes.
Healthcare and support staff who came into contact with him in the days and weeks before he murdered Yemm noted that he was “low in mood [and] pessimistic about his future” but did not exhibit signs of mental illness, including psychotic symptoms.
The report states: “The change in [Matthews’] behaviour at the Sirhowy Arms hotel is likely to have been a result of his taking illicit and/or psychoactive substances and his severe reaction to this.
“It is difficult to see how the incident … could have been either predicted or prevented by health services.”
The report also noted that Matthews was not interested or willing to engage with support offered to him by care services.
The chief executive of the healthcare inspectorate, Kate Chamberlain, said: “Mr Williams was reluctant to engage with the support available to him and this had tragic consequences. However, our review has concluded that it would have been difficult for health services to have predicted or prevented what happened.”
Williams and Yemm, who worked for the clothes shop Next, are believed to have met on a night out in Blackwood. Friends said he invited her back to the hostel – used by Caerphilly council to place single, homeless men – promising to get her a taxi home.
After hostel staff heard a woman’s cries, owner Mandy Miles burst into the room. She said Williams was covered in blood and had black eyes.
Miles said: “I can still see the amount of blood and the stillness of her, there were no signs of life at that point. I said to Matthew: ‘Do you know what you’re doing to that girl?’ He said: ‘That’s no girl.’”
Yemm died of “sharp force trauma” to her face and neck, a coroner ruled in 2014.
The circumstances around Williams’ death are being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. A coroner’s inquest is examining the circumstances around his death and that of his victim.
This article titled was written by David Batty, for theguardian.com on Wednesday 30th March 2016 13.00 UTC
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