Inquest Opens Into Bridgend Woman Stabbed in the Heart Before Fatal Crash; Man, 61, Charged With Murder
An inquest into the death of Eleanor Barnfield, a 47-year-old housing association worker from Bridgend, Wales, opened at Pontypridd Coroner's Court on November 12. The provisional cause of death given to the hearing was a "stab wound to the trunk involving the heart." Clifford Foster, 61, has been charged with her murder.
Barnfield worked for the Valleys to Coast housing association. On October 19, South Wales Police were called to a crash on Coity Road in Bridgend, where paramedics found that Barnfield, who was driving, had a stab wound to her chest that was unrelated to the collision. She was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, where she later died. Police said she had been working at the Ger-y-Nant sheltered housing complex, where Foster lived; he was arrested after a significant policing operation, charged with murder, and has appeared at Cardiff Crown Court.
Senior Investigating Officer Claire Lamerton said her thoughts remained with Barnfield's loved ones, who were being supported by specialist officers. She said the case was not being investigated as a domestic incident and urged the public not to speculate, as court proceedings are active. The Welsh Ambulance Service has said it was unable to identify any calls from Barnfield's phone numbers and described online rumours about the circumstances, including claims that she drove herself to hospital, as factually untrue.
Coroner Rachel Knight opened the inquest and suspended it pending the conclusion of the criminal proceedings. According to the court schedule, Foster is due to attend a plea and trial preparation hearing on November 23, with a provisional trial date of April 12, 2027.
(Source: BBC)
Source: BBC
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Photo: 图：事发地英国威尔士布里真德的自治市议会大楼（资料图）。Lewis Clarke，CC BY-SA 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons（Geograph Britain and Ireland）。 / Photo: Bridgend County Borough Council building in Bridgend, Wales, where the case arose (file photo). Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Geograph Britain and Ireland).
