Killed woman's family questions fair, coroner says

The family of a disabled woman stabbed to death by a psychotic stranger moments after police let the killer walk free have raised "fair" questions, a coroner has said.

Angela Lloyd, 56, was killed in her Newton Aycliffe home in August 2025 by Patricia Hewitt minutes after the 42-year-old had been spoken to by Durham Police officers over her erratic behaviour.

Hewitt was sentenced to an indefinite hospital detention order for diminished responsibility manslaughter.

County Durham coroner Crispin Oliver said the victim's family had made "perfectly intelligent points" which warranted investigation, but an inquest would be delayed while the police watchdog probed Durham Police's actions.

On 13 August 2025, Hewitt walked into Angela Lloyd's home and stabbed her dozens of times with a knife and scissors while demanding money.

The killer had been spoken to by police community support officers (PCSOs) just minutes before, after multiple people raised concerns about her erratic behaviour and she stole wine from a shop.

Earlier that day she had walked free from Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court having been given a suspended sentence for randomly attacking a woman the day before in Chester-le-Street.

The coroner previously confirmed an inquest would be held, while the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it was investigating.

During a 10-minute long hearing in Crook on Friday, Oliver said it was convention for a coroner to let the IOPC conclude its investigation first as any findings could be of interest to an inquest.

He said the IOPC investigation was expected to take nine months so listed a pre-inquest review for 13 September 2027.

The victim's brothers, Patrick and Joseph Lloyd, requested an inquest to look at multiple issues, including why officers allowed Hewitt to walk free and why help was not immediately sent by a care service which their sister made three frantic calls to while being attacked.

Oliver said the family had raised "perfectly intelligent points" and asked "fair questions" which had also "occurred" to him, adding: "It is clear to me we are on the same page."

He said interested persons, those who could be represented at the inquest, would include the victim's family and the IOPC and also "likely" be Durham County Council's Care Connect service and Durham Police.

The coroner said the inquest would not be a trial but a fact-finding process to determine how Angela Lloyd died.

He said he hoped it would give Angela Lloyd's family "a degree of clarity as to what has gone on", adding it would "get investigated fully and properly".

Oliver apologised to her brothers for the length of time they would have to wait for an inquest but said the "rule of thumb" was the more serious a case was, the longer it took to resolve.

"This will take the time it takes to get it done properly," he said, adding the brothers would be at the "forefront" of the coroner service's minds and his team would "move this along as efficiently and humanely" as possible.

Durham Police previously said the force would "reflect" on the case.

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