Man arrested on suspicion of murder after woman dies at city home

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The 46-year-old man is believed to be known to the victim



A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a woman’s body was found at a home in Coventry last night.

Police officers and paramedics were called to an address in Cavendish Road, Tile Hill, at around 8.45pm where the 68-year-old was found with injuries.

Sadly nothing could be done to save her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was found at an address in the Tile Hill area of Coventry last night.

“The 46-year-old local man was arrested at the address and remains in police custody. He is believed to be known to the victim.

“We are not looking for anyone else at this stage.

“A post mortem examination will take place in due course.”

The house remains sealed off this morning while forensic enquiries take place to “establish the circumstances surrounding the death”, the spokesman added.

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Man charged with 68-year-old woman's murder

A 46-year-old Coventry man will appear before city magistrates tomorrow morning charged with murder.

Thomas Westwood of Rosemary Close, Tile Hill, has been charged following the death of a 68-year-old woman in Cavendish Road, Tile Hill, on Friday December 1.

The woman, who has not yet been named by police, was found with stab injuries.

Unemployed Westwood was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with the woman’s murder.

He will appear at Coventry Magistrates’ Court at 10am on Tuesday December 5.

Please be warned that any discussion which could influence the result of a trial is considered 'contempt of court' and therefore banned.

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Victim of fatal stabbing in Tile Hill named



A COVENTRY woman who was found with fatal stab injuries at a house in Tile Hill has been named as Susan Westwood.

Paramedics were unable to save the 68-year-old and she was pronounced dead at the property in Cavendish Road on Friday (December 1).

Unemployed Thomas Westwood, aged 46, of Rosemary Close, Tile Hill, has been charged with her murder and appeared before Coventry magistrates yesterday and then at Leamington Justice Centre today (December 6).

He was remanded until his next appearance for a pre-trial preparation hearing at Warwick Crown Court on January 26.

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Paranoid schizophrenic admits killing 68-year-old mother



A son with mental health issues spanning more than 20 years has admitted killing his own mother.

Thomas Westwood, 47, was due to stand trial at Coventry Crown Court this morning (Tuesday June 5) after he pleaded not guilty to murder in a previous hearing.

However as his trial was due to start he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

Prosecuting, Mr Peter Grieves-Smith said at the time of the killing the defendant was suffering with paranoid schizophrenia, and he had certain beliefs about his mother.

It was then their relationship detoriated.

Mr Grieves-Smith said: "At the time of the offence he was suffering with paranoid schizophrenia.

"The defendant had described in both interviews and to psychiatrists in a period leading up to the offence.

"One of the things he had said was people were breaking into the flat and moving things.

"The conclusion of one expert that the descriptions of the behavior is consistent with psychotic experiences including delusions."

Judge Lockhart called the case ‘exceptional’.

He said: “There was a murder here but his responsibility is diminished on the findings of the expertise of the mental health reports."

He adjourned the case for sentence on August 3 at the Warwickshire Justice Centre in Leamington Spa.

Westwood was remanded into custody until that date.

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Sentencing of son who stabbed mum to death delayed for SIXTH time

A son who stabbed his own mother to death is still to learn his fate after his sentencing was delayed for a sixth time.

Thomas Westwood, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, launched a horrific knife attack on Susan Westwood which saw him stab her 17 times.

The 47-year-old was due to finally be sentenced today, Mionday, March 25, after five previous hearing were adjourned while medical reports were being prepared.

However, today's effort at Warwick Crown Court was stopped in its tracks as a video link failed between the court and the Reaside clinic in Birmingham where Westwood is currently being treated.

Judge Andrew Lockhart stated that he was "unwilling" to sentence without Westwood being present - either in person or by video link - and the hearing was adjourned until April 16.

This will mean that the next attempt to sentence him will take place more than 10 months since Westwood entered his guilty plea.

The interim hospital order which Westwood is currently subject to has been extended by the judge, who stated that “justice is patient where a man is being treated and the public are protected”, but added that he “feels most acutely for the family” in this case in their desire to know the outcome.

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Coventry man stabbed his mum to death over milky cup of tea

A mentally ill man who killed his mother and told police they had argued over the amount of milk in a cup of tea has been ordered to be detained indefinitely.

Thomas Westwood initially claimed he had stabbed 68-year-old Susan Westwood after she threatened him with a knife at their home in Coventry on December 1 2017.

The 47-year-old, who inflicted nine stab wounds using "severe" force, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility during a previous hearing at Warwick Crown Court.

Judge Andrew Lockhart QC was told Westwood, who is 6ft 3ins and weighs 18 stone, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder.

Shortly before the killing at his one-bedroom home in Cavendish Road, Tile Hill, where Westwood slept on the sofa, he was seen outside by a neighbour in an agitated state.

Westwood then dialled 999 at 8.35pm, suggesting his mother, who had mobility problems and had done all she could to support him, had wanted to slit his throat.

Police and paramedics attended and the victim's body was found on a sofa as Westwood continued to claim he had acted in self-defence.

The court heard Westwood, who has suffered from mental health problems since the late 1980s, told a police officer he had made his mother a cup of tea but she had threatened him because the drink "wasn't milky enough".

Passing sentence over a video-link to a secure mental health unit, Judge Lockhart told Westwood that he had left his sons without a grandmother and "torn apart" his family's lives.

As well as being made the subject of an indefinite hospital order, Westwood was sentenced to a 16-year prison term with an additional extended licence period of five years.

The judge ruled that Westwood's condition was certainly not the sole cause of the offence but had affected his ability to control his anger.

"I find as a fact that she didn't attack you with a knife," the judge told Westwood.

"You told, in interviews, deliberate untruths about what your mother had done.

"There is no reason at all why she would ever attack you. This case is a tragedy for all involved.

"I am clear that whilst you have long-standing mental health problems, you felt great anger towards your mother - anger was the primary and driving reason why you killed her."