‘Hostel killer was turned down for housing’ – inquest
APROLIFIC offender who attacked and killed a young woman two weeks after being released from prison tried to find housing outside his home area but was turned down, an inquest has heard.
Matthew Williams, 34, was under the influence of amphetamines when he used shards of pottery to cut Cerys Yemm’s face, neck and body at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, near Blackwood, in the early hours of November 6, 2014.
Miss Yemm, 22, who suffered at least 89 separate injuries including bite marks on her abdomen and died at the scene, had gone with Williams to the hotel, where he had been staying.
Yesterday, Gwent Coroner’s Court, in Newport, heard Williams wanted to move to Newport after he was released from HMP Parc in Bridgend on October 23, 2014, and planned to work with his father.
Pc Alison Perry, who works as an offender manager in the integrated offender management unit (IOM), said she knew Williams would be turned down for accommodation in the city and sent back to Caerphilly Council, where he had spent most of his time, as the former authority did not have a “duty” to house him.
Pc Perry said she later found out that Williams had been housed at the Sirhowy Arms by Caerphilly Council and that he “did not want police and probation to know where he was”.
Asked about the suitability of the hotel, she said “it was one of the better places” for him to go.
Lloyd Williams, QC, representing members of the Yemm family, asked if Pc Perry was aware of a probation risk assessment which stated that there was “a risk of him causing serious harm” to the public, his ex-partner, people he thought had “grassed him up”, and that he had also made threats against at least two police officers and their families and children.
Pc Perry said she was aware of those issues and said moving someone out of their usual area sometimes worked in terms of keeping them out of trouble, but often did not. She said the IOM could not talk to Newport’s housing department about Williams as he was not engaging with them.
Pc Perry said that without an individual’s consent care had to be taken with regards to what information could be shared with other agencies.
She said she met Williams a number of times while he was in prison, including on August 27, 2014, when plans for his release were discussed with probation officer Nick Tetley.
She said Williams was “reluctant to come out of his cell” and a “bit dismissive” during the meeting, and that it was explained to him about the difference between being released on licence and without licence.
The inquest heard Williams said police and probation could “***k off” and that he wanted to serve his time.
Pc Perry said Williams, who had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, was also asked about his mental health at the meeting.
“He told us that he was fine and that everything was going well,” she said. “We asked him about medication on release, to which he said he would get medication as a safety net.”
Pc Perry told the jury that she spoke to Williams’ ex-partner prior to his release to discuss her safety “because of a history of domestic violence” between them.
She also spoke to Williams’ mother, Sally Ann Williams, about her safety and to see if she would encourage her son to engage with the support available to him.
The jury heard markers were placed on the ex-partner’s address, meaning any calls to the police from there would be given priority. Similar markers were placed on the homes of Mrs Williams and one of Williams’ brothers.
Pc Perry said she was aware that councils’ housing departments should give priority to newly released offenders and that there was Welsh Government guidance on the issue.
She was asked by Jeremy Johnson, QC, representing Gwent Police, if there was any reason why Williams could not have told housing officers in Newport that he was an ex-offender who did not want to associate with people he had previously committed offences with. Pc Perry said there was not. The inquest continues.