Huddersfield man killed his wife then himself

Aug 13 2009 by Katie Grant, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A statement from pathologist Alfredo Walker said Mrs Mann was attacked by someone who used a ‘blunt weapon’ and a ‘sharp cutting implement’.

Mr Mann, a retired factory owner, was found face-down in a bath filled with water.

He was still wearing his white vest, underpants and socks while his blood-stained trousers and top were found on the floor.

Mr Mann’s psychiatrist, Dr Vinod Shukla said he first met Mr Mann in 2002 when he was complaining of depression.

He told the inquest Mr Mann had told him he wished he was dead.

Mr Shukla said: “Having known him for all these years he struck me as quite energetic and motivated and quite rigid in his thinking.”

Mr Shukla believed Mr Mann may had began suffering from depression after retiring from work as factory manager.

His depression went away for a while, but came back in 2008 when he told his GP sometimes he thought he would go down to the local canal and drown himself.

Mr Shukla said there was never any indication that Mr Mann would harm his wife.

Mr Mann’s brother-in-law Stuart Smith said he was ‘amazed’ Doreen hadn’t said anything to doctors.

He said she had expressed her worries about Mr Mann’s mental state to her sister, Barbara Moore.

Barbara added: “We all tried to advise her to leave him.”

Coroner Roger Whittaker said Mrs Mann had died from her wounds.

He said: “Certainly, some of these injuries couldn’t have been self-induced.

“It’s clear that she was killed by another and I’m satisfied that was the cause.”

Mr Whittaker recorded a verdict of unlawful killing for Mrs Mann.

He said Mr Mann had died from drowning and had taken his own life.

He added: “I’m also satisfied that he intended the consequences of his actions by placing himself in the bath with his underwear on and his socks.

“The drowning must have been self-induced.

He said Mr Mann’s mind was “disturbed” at the time when he and Mrs Mann died.

He said the deaths of Mr and Mrs Mann had been a “double tragedy”.