Mother, 30, admits killing church warden, 88, in Co-op during stabbing spree after she was released from mental health treatment at start of lockdown
- Mother-of-one Zara Anne Radcliffe stabbed John Rees, 88, in Peygraig Co-op
- He was attacked while his dementia-suffering wife Eunice, 87, waited in their car
- Radcliffe was suffering from schizophrenia at time, Merthyr Crown Court heard
A 30-year-old mother has pleaded guilty to killing an 88-year-old church warden and stabbing three other shoppers in a frenzied knife attack in a crowded supermarket.
Mother-of-one Zara Anne Radcliffe stabbed John Rees in the face inside a Co-op shop while his 87-year-old dementia-suffering wife Eunice waited in their car in the village of Peygraig in the Rhondda, South Wales, in May.
In her frenzied attack, she also stabbed nurse Lisa Way, 53, shopper Andrew Price, 58, and fellow nurse Gaynor Saurin, 65.
Mr Rees died from severe blunt trauma to the face including multiple facial fractures. The other three victims survived.
Radcliffe – a single mother to a young son – was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of her vicious rampage and was a patient at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital for five months. She came out of hospital at the start of the lockdown.
Zara Anne Radcliffe, 30, has pleaded guilty at Merthyr Crown Court to the manslaughter by diminished responsibility of 88-year-old John Rees
Radcliffe stabbed John Rees in the face inside a Co-op shop while his 87-year-old dementia-suffering wife Eunice (pictured together) waited in their car in the village of Peygraig in the Rhondda, South Wales, in May
A romantic relationship with a man had ended in the weeks leading up to the attack – and family say Radcliffe had made a complaint to police about it.
Radcliffe believed police ‘weren’t taking her seriously’ about an alleged assault against her.
She today pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Rees by reason of diminished responsibility. She had denied murder.
She also admitted the attempted murders of Andrew Price, Gaynor Saurin and Lisa Way who were all injured in the incident in the village of Pen Y Graig, Rhondda, South Wales on May 5 this year.
Radcliffe also pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted murder of nurse Lisa Way, 53, shopper Andrew Price, 58, and nurse Gaynor Saurin, 65, at the Co-operative store.
She spoke only to enter her pleas from Rampton secure hospital, where she is currently being held.
Radcliffe also pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted murder of nurse Lisa Way, 53, shopper Andrew Price, 58, (left) and nurse Gaynor Saurin, 65, (right) at the Co-operative store
Ms Way, 53, was stabbed as she was shopping in the village after completing her shift at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in nearby Llantrisant
Michael Jones QC, prosecuting, told the court the pleas were acceptable to the Crown as at the time of the incident Radcliffe was suffering from schizophrenia.
Mr Rees, a retired senior engineer, lived with his wife Eunice at their home in nearby Trealaw.
An inquest heard he was attacked by a woman while he was in the shop and died from severe blunt trauma to his face.
His cause of death was recorded as severe blunt trauma to the face including multiple facial fractures.
Eunice Reese, 87, who is said to suffer from dementia, was waiting in the car as husband John Rees, 88, was stabbed to death
Church warden Mr Rees was described as “the very definition of a good man, extremely respected and liked in the community” by his family.
Radcliffe will be sentenced on Wednesday at Merthyr Crown Court.
More follows on this breaking news story…