Sheffield dog walker's inquest hears of psychiatric patient's 'thoughts to kill'

A woman who killed a dog walker after she went missing from an acute mental health unit had previously told police she had "thoughts to kill others" and referenced "a bloodbath", an inquest has heard.

Emma Borowy had absconded from a ward at Royal Bolton Hospital, where she was held under the Mental Health Act, on numerous occasions before she stabbed 74-year-old Roger Leadbeater in Sheffield.

Mr Leadbeater was walking his dog Max when he was attacked in August 2023, a coroner was told on Monday.

Ms Borowy, 32, was being held on suspicion of murder when she died in prison four months after the incident.

Consultant psychiatrist Hayley Thomas told Sheffield Coroner’s Court about a number of incidents of Ms Borowy escaping from the hospital or slipping her escort while on supervised leave.

On two occasions, she had knives when she was found by police, the doctor said.

After going missing from the hospital in January 2023, she was found in Sheffield in possession of a Stanley knife.

Police reported that she "expressed thoughts to kill others, referencing a bloodbath", although Dr Thomas said she later denied saying this.

Dr Thomas explained to senior coroner Tanyka Rawden why decisions were repeatedly made to give Ms Borowy various types of leave despite her going missing.

The doctor said that the aim of the medical staff on the ward was to work towards Ms Borowy’s discharge. She said successful leave was an important step.

She said the risk of her committing violence was not a consideration.

Dr Thomas said: "That wasn’t the real concern for us."

Arrested for killing goats

The doctor told the court how she first came into contact with Ms Borowy in 2020 when she was involved in treating her in the community for psychosis, which included her sometimes claiming to see and hear aliens.

She said Ms Borowy was sectioned in October 2022 and admitted to Oak Ward at the Royal Bolton after she was arrested for killing two goats with a knife, the doctor told the coroner.

Dr Thomas said the police were also concerned at the state of Ms Borowy’s flat in Bolton where they found a “shrine with unicorns”, teddy bears floating in the bath, plus a hammer and rope.

The doctor said Ms Borowy told staff she killed the goats “as a way of ensuring her own survival” and showed no remorse.

Dr Thomas described how Ms Borowy first went missing from the ward on 21 October 2022 when she smashed the window of her room.

She was found six days later at Bolton railway station in possession of a knife, which she told staff was for self-defence.

The doctor said Ms Borowy was first given short periods of leave in the hospital grounds with members of staff but gave examples of her running from her supervisors.

She said a decision was taken to try and give her longer leave in an effort to discourage her absconding.

This culminated in her being allowed to live in the community later in 2023, but she was recalled to hospital after she was found in a state of neglect, with a large amount of the drug MDMA and a noose.

The inquest, which is due to last a week, is expected to hear how she escaped from the hospital again on 7 August and killed Mr Leadbeater on 9 August near his home in the Westfield area of Sheffield.

Mr Leadbeater was stabbed multiple times, police said at the time.

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