Hotel killer had prison attacks history - inquest

A man killed a hotel worker six weeks after being released from a prison where he attacked officers and inmates and was given anti-psychotic medication, an inquest has heard.

However, Stephen Cole was not deemed to be an "exceptional" risk to the public, the hearing was told.

Marta Elena Vento, 27, was punched, kicked and attacked with hair clippers for 42 minutes while working a solo night shift at the Travelodge in Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, on 9 December 2020.

HMP Winchester changed its monitoring of remand prisoners in the light of the killing, the Dorset coroner was told.

Cole, who was a hotel guest, suddenly came out of his room and attacked Ms Elena Vento shortly after 05:00 GMT, it was heard.

The receptionist, from Valencia, Spain, suffered "very heavy blows to the face and head" and put up a "most spirited defence", the inquest was told.

A panic button that she wore had not been activated, police said.

Giving evidence, HMP Winchester governor James Bourke said Cole spent three months on remand at the jail from July to October 2020.

The inmate fought with a cellmate, attacked another prisoner in a shower for no reason and also attacked two prison health workers, Mr Bourke said.

One of the workers was targeted when she was briefly alone, the inquest heard.

She was admitted to hospital after Cole kicked and repeatedly punched her, the coroner was told.

He was released on 27 October after pleading guilty to three counts of indecent exposure, for which he was given a sexual harm prevention order.

However, Cole's behaviour in custody improved after mental health treatment and he was not assessed to be a higher risk to women or the general public, Mr Bourke told the hearing.

He said: "Custodial behaviour is not the best indicator of behaviour in the community.

"Knowing what we know now, flags would have been spotted. But in the heat of Covid, the churn of prisoners... this was not an exceptional case."

Mr Bourke added there was no national guidance on the sudden release of remand prisoners who might be dangerous.

He said: "Informed by this case, we now try to screen our remand population and think: 'If any of those were suddenly released, what risk might they pose?'

"There was no pre-release planning because we only knew about his release when it was happening."

Previously, the inquest heard Cole was released with a four-week supply of anti-psychotic medication, which would have run out two weeks before the attack.

He pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility in 2021 and will be detained in hospital indefinitely.

Det Insp Timothy Judd told the inquest Cole was being investigated for the alleged attacks on prison staff.

However, the Hampshire officer said there was not enough time to resolve the case before the killing.

He said brief details of the investigation were available on the Police National Database, but Dorset Police had not made further inquiries about Cole, who was living in their area.

Before the hearing, Ms Elena Vento's parents said their "lives have been destroyed by the sudden, horrific death of our beautiful daughter".

In a statement given outside the court, they said: "Four years have passed since Marta was brutally taken from us.

"Now we desperately need answers about how such a brutal assault can have happened and whether it could have been prevented."

The inquest, which is being heard without a jury, is expected to last up to six weeks.

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