00:00Well, this is a story that's left a lasting scar on Exeter. A grandmother attacked without
00:06warning as she made her way home from the supermarkets. 74-year-old Lorna England was
00:11killed in Ludwell Valley Park while walking back from Little in February 2023. Cameron
00:17Davis, then living in temporary accommodation, was later convicted of her murder and sentenced
00:21to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years. The inquest, held at Exeter and Greater
00:27Devon Coroner's Court, has now ruled that Mrs England was unlawfully killed. It focused
00:32on the decisions made by police, paramedics and mental health professionals in the weeks
00:36before the attack. The court heard that Davis had repeatedly told support workers and officers
00:41that he was struggling with his mental health, warning he might harm himself or someone else.
00:46On several occasions, he was assessed by psychiatrists but was not detained under the Mental Health
00:51Act. Coroner Alison Longhorn said Mrs England's death was the result of a violent, unprovoked
00:57attack for which Davis alone bore responsibility, but that the inquest had examined how agencies
01:02responded to the clear risks he posed. In a statement read to the court, Mrs England's
01:08family described her as a kind and loving woman whose smile lit up the room. They thanked emergency
01:14services for their efforts and said their loss has left a permanent empty void. While the hearing
01:19did not assign blame to any individual organisation, it raised renewed concern about how warnings from
01:25those in crisis are handled and whether lessons have truly been learned across the South West's
01:31care system. The coroner said a written report would now be sent to local health and emergency
01:36authorities outlining possible improvements to risk assessments and communication procedures
01:41when people present with violent thoughts.
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