Husband is held after NHS nurse stabbed to death in street
AN NHS nurse was stabbed to death outside her family home during the coronavirus lockdown.
The victim, named locally as motherof-three Victoria Woodhall, was killed in the street on Sunday evening.
Police, paramedics and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended the incident but Mrs Woodhall, 31, died at the scene.
Her husband Craig Woodhall, 40, was later arrested on suspicion of murder.
The couple got married just six months ago but were said to have recently broken up. Their two young sons were at the house at the time of the stabbing and they may have witnessed the killing.
Mrs Woodhall was working as an operating department practitioner at Rotherham General Hospital in South Yorkshire. It is not known whether she was treating coronavirus patients.
Earlier on Sunday afternoon she visited her ex- husband Gareth Cowley as they share custody of their daughter.
He advised her to go to a friend’s house rather than return home after she told him of her marital problems.
But after leaving Mr Cowley’s at 3.20pm she returned to the family home in Middlecliffe, Barnsley. She was then stabbed to death in broad daylight.
Mr Cowley, 33, said: ‘Victoria came down to mine to see our daughter and bring her some clean clothing, and me and Victoria had a little talk outside. She told me that her and Craig had been having arguments and they had split up and she was living at a friend’s house.
‘I told her it would be better to go back to her friend’s house, but she was not going to listen to me, and she has gone back home to see the boys, who were living with Craig.’
Mr Cowley, who was married to Mrs Woodhall for seven years, said: ‘I tried to text Victoria at about 5.15pm and then my daughter got a phone call from a next door neighbour telling her that her mum had been stabbed in the street and had died at the scene.’ He said their daughter turned 13 today but they had not planned a party because of the coronavirus restrictions. His ex-wife was intending to visit with a cake, cards and presents. Mr Cowley said: ‘My daughter is in absolute bits.’
Paying tribute to Mrs Woodhall, he added: ‘She was an amazing and loving mum to our daughter. I always had the utmost respect for her.’
Neighbours staying indoors due to the lockdown are believed to have gone outside to investigate after the attack.
Mrs Woodhall was found lying on the street in a pool of blood. As the tragedy unfolded, a concerned neighbour appealed on social media for help to catch the suspect, who she said had driven away from the scene.
South Yorkshire Police have not officially named the man in custody. A spokesman said: ‘A 40-year-old man is currently in custody after a 31- year- old woman was stabbed during an incident in Barnsley.
‘ Emergency services were called to Middlecliffe just before 5pm, following concerns that a woman had been stabbed.
‘Sadly, the woman was pronounced dead when officers arrived at the scene.’
Woodhall, a fork lift truck driver, is believed to be an Army veteran. The couple married last September. They had been in a long-term relationship and had two young boys.
Mrs Woodhall worked long hours at the local hospital. Her job involved pre-operative care as well as helping the surgeon during operations. She was also involved in the postoperative recovery stage.
‘She was amazing and loving’