Overview
- Area Coroner Emma Serrano found that Joyce Wilshaw, 91, died from blunt force head injuries inflicted with a hammer by her daughter, Karen Wilshaw, 63.
- Karen’s death was recorded as suicide after evidence showed she fell from an upstairs dormer window twice on December 31, 2023.
- Investigators recovered a hammer containing Joyce’s DNA and reported no forensic, CCTV or eyewitness evidence of third‑party involvement.
- Police said Karen’s husband, Ralph Harrison, returned from a fishing trip and called 999 at 2:59pm, and although initially arrested during the murder inquiry he was released within days.
- Testimony described caregiving pressures as Joyce awaited an Alzheimer’s/dementia diagnosis on January 9, 2024, while Karen had a history of treated anxiety and depression without recorded suicidal ideation.