Overview

• Area Coroner Michael Pemberton concluded Paul Dickson died from complications of a chest stab wound but could not say if it was self-inflicted or inflicted by another person.
• Pathologist Dr Philip Lumb reported the knife punctured an artery, a clot formed, and heart failure followed, with no defensive injuries identified.
• The coroner said there had been previous physical violence in the relationship and, on the balance of probabilities, found Mr Dickson’s partner was responsible for that earlier abuse.
• A knife found under a nearby car matched a small knife missing from the couple’s kitchen and corresponded to the dimensions of the wound, according to evidence presented.
• Joleen Hulme, now 41, was tried for murder and acquitted by a jury in 2020, and the latest inquest did not call witnesses or reach a conclusion on how the stabbing occurred.