Husband killed wife to 'put her out of her misery', inquest hears

The inquest into the death of an 85-year-old woman with dementia from Cardiff has heard how she was found "at home, covered in blood."

Margaret Mayer's body was found on the floor of a bedroom in her Cardiff home in July this year.

Cardiff Coroners Court heard how Mrs Mayer had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, caused by a lamp and that it was her husband Angus Mayer, 86, who attacked her.

The pathologist who carried out the post mortem on Mrs Mayer said she had sustained "at least 5 blows to the right side of the face and at least 3 to the left side."

The inquest was also told that on the same day, Mr Mayer jumped in front of a train at Cardiff's Central Station. He was later charged with murder.

Witness statements from police officers read out at court detailed how Mr Mayer told those working to rescue him from underneath the train he just wanted to die and that he had killed his wife to "put her out of her misery."Mr Mayer said "I wanted to put my head on the tracks."

He later died in hospital.

The coroner ruled that Mrs Mayer had been unlawfully killed.