Murder investigation into hospital death scaled back

A long running murder investigation into a woman who was killed at Blackpool Victoria Hospital's stroke unit in 2018 has been scaled back.

BBC North West Tonight has discovered that Lancashire Police has concluded the criminal investigation into the death of 75-year-old Valerie Kneale and are treating it as an unsolved homicide.

It said the case would be regularly reviewed by the force's major crime review team and it would look into any new information which came to light.

Mrs Kneale died in the hospital unit on 16 November 2018 - four days after suffering a stroke. At the time police had just begun an unrelated investigation into the doping of patients on the unit.

That doping investigation led to a number of health care workers being convicted in 2023.

While they were on the unit, police began looking at a number of deaths, including Mrs Kneale's and the following February the force announced it was treating her death as murder, saying she had died from bleeding "caused by a non-medical-related internal injury".

On 3 March 2021 a man was arrested on suspicion of murder, two offences of rape, and one of sexual assault.

He was later released from investigation.

There have been no further arrests and no one has ever been charged with Mrs Kneale's death.

In March 2023 police tried again for information.

Mrs Kneale's niece Lisa Jaffier appeared on BBC Crimewatch asking people to come forward, saying the family had been left with a huge wound which could not heal until they found out who was responsible.

The charity Crimestoppers announced a £20,000 reward for information but nothing has ever come to light.

Now police have concluded the criminal investigation, it means an inquest can finally be held, more than six and a half years after Mrs Kneale's death.

Police said it remains an undetected homicide investigation which will be held by the force major crime review team, and regularly reviewed.

It added the team will look into any new information which comes to light and that its thoughts remain with Mrs Kneale's family.

Maggie Oldham, chief executive at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, said the trust's : "thoughts and deepest sympathies" were with Mrs Kneale's friends and family.

She added: "The trust has worked with Lancashire Police and cooperated with their investigation following the tragic death of Mrs Kneale in 2018.

"We will continue to support ongoing legal processes around this tragic incident and would like to reassure all of our patients and staff, that the hospital is a safe and caring place."

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