Psychiatric patient who killed partner died on 10-mile hike
Inquest told how man, 65, felt ill during walk
A mentally ill man who killed his partner after becoming convinced she was possessed by the devil suddenly collapsed and died while on a supervised hike.
Keith Solly, 65, was being detained indefinitely at Maidstone’s Trevor Gibbens psychiatric unit after being acquitted of murdering Yvonne Tapp on the grounds of insanity in July 2015.
An inquest into his death heard how the former Sevenoaks bus driver had been making a marked recovery after years of intensive treatment.
The court heard Mr Solly was in the middle of a 10-mile walk with three other patients at East Peckham in April 15.
The group was supervised by a mental health worker and had just passed through St Michael’s Church just before 4pm when Mr Solly began to feel ill.
He told his companions he needed to sit down and lost colour before falling unconscious.
Despite CPR from other walkers and paramedics Mr Solly died at the scene.
Patricia Harding, senior coroner, read evidence from police and health workers involved in Mr Solly’s care. The court heard he was overweight, had an irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
He had begun exercising regularly and was being reviewed by his GP and a cardiologist.
Having already completed a sixmile walk he was considered safe to take on the 10-mile hike.
Mr Solly had a history of depres- sion and had been diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder.
He was admitted to Priority House several times and it was during a stay in 2013 he met his partner, Ms Tapp.
Mr Solly strangled his girlfriend of eight months in their flat in Lady’s Gift Road, Southborough, in December 2015.
He then buried her under a pile of furniture before calling the emergency services several times, in one instance singing Oh My Darling, Clementine to the operator.
When police arrived, Mr Solly was wearing women’s clothing and said: “I am Gladys!”
Mrs Harding said she was satisfied Mr Solly had received appropriate care and concluded the cause of death natural causes.
Mr Solly had recently reconciled with his two children, Joanna and Stephen.
Stephen Solly, who attended the hearing at Archbishop’s Palace in Maidstone, said: “He was almost back to the dad I used to know before his illness took over.
“We were starting to plan days out together but then he was taken from us.”