Daughter killed her mum with a hammer then took her own life

Tragedy followed concerns for cost of pensioner's care

- Sentinel Reporter

TROUBLED Karen Wilshaw killed her 91-year-old mum Joyce by repeatedly striking her to the head with a hammer before throwing herself out of an upstairs window.

When the initial suicide attempt did not work, the 63-year-old walked back into the house, went upstairs and jumped a second time. Her husband Ralph Harrison returned home to find her injured on the patio. He was heard to say, 'No Karen, no.

Paramedics and doctors arrived and both women were pronounced dead that afternoon.

Now an inquest has concluded Joyce's death was an unlawful killing and her daughter's was suicide. The hearing was told Karen and Ralph lived in the same house as Joyce, in Park Lane, Cheadle. They lived upstairs, the pensioner downstairs.

Detective Sergeant Andrew Shorthouse, of Staffordshire Police, said Ralph called the police at 2.59pm on December 31, 2023 and reported he had found both women.

DS Shorthouse said: “Police attended and found Joyce in the living room with extensive injuries to her head. Karen was still alive on the patio. First aid was being delivered by Ralph and a neighbour.

“Paramedics arrived at 3.17pm. At 3.43pm a paramedic pronounced Joyce dead and at 3.50pm a doctor pronounced Karen's life extinct.”

Police began a murder investigation. Ralph was initially arrested but was released within a few days.