Loved mum strangled to death by partner over affair, inquest told
A“LOVED” mum was strangled to death by her long-term partner days after he found out she was having an affair, an inquest heard.
Lana Owen, 46, was found dead at home in December after her partner Philip Andrews called police saying he had “strangled” her.
Police arrived at the scene in Tonypandy to find 51-year-old Andrews stood near her body and drinking from a bottle of Jack Daniel’s.
An inquest at Pontypridd Coroners’ Court yesterday heard Ms Owen had been seeing another man, Robert Morris, for a number of weeks before her death.
After killing Ms Owen on December 19, Andrews messaged Mr Morris through her Facebook account saying: “You won’t be seeing Lana again, she’s dead.”
Andrews, who had been with Ms Owen for around 17 years, was taken into custody, but died in hospital from natural causes before a trial at Cardiff Crown Court could begin.
The inquest heard South Wales Police detectives were unable to find exactly what was used as a ligature, but it was “possible” a cord of a lava lamp may have been used.
On the day of the incident Mr Morris dropped off Ms Owen near her home in Miskin Road at around 11.20am and she walked the rest of the way.
Ms Owen’s daughter Casey Knowlton was asleep in the property when she was later woken by the sound of a “loud noise”.
A statement read to the court said: “I could hear screaming and shouting coming from the living room/kitchen. I would describe her screaming like an argument taking place.
“I was aware of the argument for about five minutes. I then heard a loud bang and then everything went quiet.”
After falling back to sleep Ms Knowlton was woken at around 12.50pm by a female police officer who was inside the house. Andrews was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder.
During police interviews Andrews replied no comment to most questions, but spoke on one occasion when asked if he had any remorse for what he had done.
Andrews replied: “What do you want me to do? Start bawling my eyes out in front of you? I feel sick as a f***ing pig.”
Andrews was accused of killing Ms Owen. He was due to face a crown court trial and at a pre-trial hearing it was heard there was no dispute over the facts of the case.
But Andrews died from a terminal illness while in custody – before Lana’s family were able to get justice.
The inquest heard that on March 16 this year police were informed that
Andrews had died in hospital from natural causes after being diagnosed with cancer. Criminal proceedings were later concluded.
The inquest heard Ms Owen had been seeing Robert Morris for a number of weeks before she died. In a statement by Mr Morris read to the inquest he described himself as her “boyfriend” and had been in a relationship with Ms Owen for around six weeks.
Mr Morris said Ms Owen was planning to marry Andrews in a black wedding dress and felt she “owed” him for helping her “turn her life around”.
Mr Morris said: “She had tried to tell him that their relationship was over, but he just was not listening.”
Ms Owen had spent the night with Mr Morris on the day before she died and they had planned to meet each other later on December 19.
When in custody at Merthyr Tydfil police station Andrews was assessed to see if he was mentally fit to be interviewed. During the examination Andrews said: “When I did what I did my mind was clear. I found out last Friday my partner was having an affair.”
The inquest heard Ms Owen had a background of drug use and was using the heroin substitute methadone at the time of her death.
Coroner Graeme Hughes recorded a conclusion of unlawful killing.