Inquest Into Doreen Morris’ Death 29 Years Ago
- Doreen Morris (64) was found dead in her bungalow in Anglesey, Wales, on 25th March 1994.
- In 1995, Joseph Carl Westbury was found not guilty of her murder, and the case remained unsolved.
- Doreen Morris’ daughter, Audrey Fraser, has spent years campaigning for an inquest to establish the facts of how she died.
- 29 years after her death a Coroner concludes that Doreen Morris was ‘Unlawfully Killed’.
- A family’s fight for justice continues with Audrey Fraser pushing for further criminal investigations.
29 years after Doreen Morris’ tragic death, Ms Katie Sutherland, Action Senior Coroner for North Wales (West) finally concludes that she was ‘Unlawfully Killed’
On 25th March 1994, Doreen Morris was discovered dead in her burned-down bungalow in Holyhead, North Wales. While her body was horrifically burned, a blood stained kitchen fork was found under her body. A post-mortem was carried out which revealed that Doreen Morris had died before the fire started.
Following a criminal investigation, it was believed by police that the killing followed a failed and ‘botched’ burglary. Joseph Carl Westbury and Stuart Queen were later arrested by police however, only Westbury was charged with murder. Queen gave evidence against Westbury and claimed he was not involved in the burglary nor was he at the bungalow that night. In a trial at Cheshire Crown Court in 1996, Doreen Morris’ murder was described by Detectives as ‘savage’ yet no one was convicted of her murder and Westbury was found not guilty.
Following the criminal proceedings, an inquest recorded that the ‘precise cause could not be ascertained’ as to the death. Since then, Doreen Morris’ daughter, Audrey Fraser, has since spent nearly 3 decades campaigning for an inquest to be resumed to establish the facts of how she died, in the hope that the Coroner will find her cause of death was an “unlawful killing”.
In a devastating turn of events, a High Court Judge in 2010 denied Audrey’s bid for an inquest, saying it was not inevitable the hearing would result in a finding of unlawful killing. Tenaciously, Audrey Fraser pressed on in the hope of a new inquest. Following an application by Counsel Matthew Stanbury, it was submitted that the circumstances were not adequately explored, there has been no fact finding as to how Doreen Morris had died, and it was advanced that there was a real possibility of return conclusion of unlawful killing (UK) following Maughan.
Acting Senior Coroner for North Wales (West) Ms Katie Sutherland agreed to reopen the inquest having considered the family’s application and determined that a fact finding exercise had not taken place to answer the question of ‘how’ Doreen Morris had died. A fresh inquest took place in December 2022.
While Westbury passed away in 2016 a number of other witnesses were called to give evidence at the fresh inquest, including Queen. Notably, Westbury’s wife, Emma Westbury, agreed with Counsel to the Inquest in that Carl Westbury had been to Doreen Morris’ home that night under the pretence it was empty so that they could find money. But it remains the evidence of Emma Westbury that Carl claimed Queen had killed Doreen Morris. Emma Westbury reported that Carl Westbury would have “psychotic sprees” and agreed he had a “Jekyll and Hyde” like character.
On the 4th of April 2023, at the conclusion of the inquest, the Acting Senior Coroner concluded that Doreen Morris had been unlawfully killed.
The inquest found (on the balance of probabilities):
“The burglary was pre-meditated and committed by Carl Westbury and Stuart Queen, having been discussed with Andrew Morris beforehand.”
“The evidence is indicative of murder, and I am satisfied that the appropriate conclusion of the inquest into the death of Doreen Morris is Unlawful Killing.”
Audrey Fraser states:
“After 29 years, I now have the correct verdict for my mother – she was unlawfully killed – she was fatally stabbed in her neck.”
“I wish to extend my enormous thanks to Coroner Katie Sutherland for her skilful and thorough investigation into the death of my mother, Mrs Doreen Morris.”
“My thanks also to my solicitors at Watson Woodhouse – Sarah Finney and Sarah Magson.
“The focus will now shift to the criminal side. As a result of the testimony of new witnesses, there are now other investigative steps open to North Wales Police.”
In the Media:
Doreen Morris murder: Community ‘refuse to share truth’ – lawyer
Inquest into the death of Anglesey widow Doreen Morris will finish next year
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