Doreen Morris: Murder accused was burgling home, inquest hears

Doreen Morris lived with her two dogs in her home, Penrhyn Uchaf, on the outskirts of Holyhead

The wife of man who was cleared of murdering a woman almost 20 years ago has told an inquest he was burgling her home on the night she was killed.

Doreen Morris was found dead in her burned-out bungalow on the outskirts of Holyhead, Anglesey, in March 1994.

Joseph Carl Westbury was found not guilty of her murder in 1995 - he also denied breaking into the 64-year-old's property on Mill Lane.

He killed himself in 2016, an inquest in Caernarfon heard.

His wife Emma Westbury told the coroner's court that Mr Westbury said had he had been at Mrs Morris's home that night after being told the house would be empty and there was money around.

But she said her late husband claimed another man killed Mrs Morris.

• Daughter investigated own mum's death - inquest

She said Mr Westbury, who was known as Carl, burgled the house with a man called Stuart Queen.

She told the inquest her husband was on the roof of the house cutting wires when he heard a scream inside.

Mrs Morris had been disturbed by an intruder and "fought back", ending with her ear being bitten and stabbed in the neck with a fork, the hearing was told.

Doreen Morris was found dead in her burned-out bungalow

Mrs Westbury said her husband told her Mr Queen attacked Mrs Morris before they both wrapped her body in bedding and doused her in petrol from a lawn mower in the garage before setting the property alight.

Mr Queen gave evidence against Mr Westbury at his murder trial in 1995.

He told the inquest via video link from his home in Saudi Arabia that he was not involved in the burglary, was not at the house that night and did not play any part in Mrs Morris's death.

Mr Queen told the hearing he had been out drinking with Mr Westbury on the evening, but had returned home on his own.

Pushed by barrister David Pojur as to whether he took part in the burglary or helped Mr Westbury set the bungalow alight, he insisted he had not.

"I was not there," he told the court.

"I wasn't there so I wouldn't have seen anything."

Mr Queen said Mr Westbury called at his home the morning after the murder and passed him a silver bracelet stolen in the burglary.

"He took me outside and said something to the effect that he had killed somebody," he told the inquest.

Cross-examined by barrister Matthew Stanbury, who was representing Mrs Morris's daughter Audrey Fraser, he suggested he was "in cahoots" with Mr Westbury and "threw him Mr Westbury under a bus to save yourself".

"No," replied Mr Queen.

Mrs Westbury told the inquest her husband made the revelations in about 2001 after always being "very elusive" about what happened.

But Mrs Westbury also said she had suspicions at one time that her husband may have "switched roles" in his version of events.

In 2003, she was contacted by police re-investigating the death, where she raised concerns but refused to give evidence against Mr Westbury.

Quizzed on Wednesday, she said: "I believe he was there but I don't believe he did it."

Joseph Carl Westbury was at the house on the night of the fire, the inquest heard

However, the inquest was told Mr Westbury was a "Jekyll and Hyde" character and could be extremely violent.

His wife said he had attacked her repeatedly during their marriage, including one instance where she was strangled until she passed out.

In another incident, Mr Westbury poured flammable liquid over her and threatened to set her alight.

The inquest continues.