AN 82-year-old man accused of stabbing his wife to death at their home in Studley has died after being taken ill in HMP Hewell where he had been remanded in custody.
Ronald Mowbray, who had been charged with murdering his 80-year-old wife Ann, had been due to attend a plea and trial preparation hearing at Warwick Crown Court last month.
Mowbray, of Allendale Crescent, was due to appear via a video link from HMP Hewell, where he has been held on remand since his arrest.
On that occasion his barrister Rebecca Wade said Mowbray, whose mental health had ‘rapidly declined,’ was on the prison’s hospital wing and ‘too unwell to attend on the link.’
At a further hearing on Monday, prosecutor Peter Grieves-Smith, appearing over a video conferencing facility, told Judge Andrew Lockhart QC: “Sadly Mr Mowbray has died.”
The cause of death has been described as ‘inconclusive’.
Judge Lockhart said he had understood that Mowbray had died in custody, but that the death certificate showed he had died on April 1 at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.
Mowbray had been charged after the police were called to the couple’s home on the morning of February 17 and found the body of Mrs Mowbray, who it was said had been stabbed a number of times.
At the previous hearing Mr Grieves-Smith had suggested in view of Mowbray’s age and condition, a prison environment ‘is not the appropriate place for him to be.’
On that occasion Miss Wade said Mowbray was to be seen by a psychiatrist.
At the time Judge Lockhart said: “It is absolutely imperative if this man is in the wrong place, that he is got to the right place. This man’s family will be in turmoil. The sooner we can alleviate that, the better.”
