An inquest reveals that systemic failures led to the murder of Marta Elena Vento by a recently released inmate.
Cole left prison in October 2020. While jailed, he showed severe psychosis. On December 4, police arrested him for assault and held him overnight. Then, they released him on bail. The coroner said the killing could’ve been avoided. Police and the prison health provider failed.
Marta’s family spoke after the verdict. They feel the health system failed by releasing someone unwell without a care plan. They wonder why police weren’t aware of the danger. Marta paid with her life due to these system failures. Their lives will never be the same.
Marta was attacked at work by an attacker who recently left prison. A coroner criticized the health provider and police for failing to follow guidelines that manage risky offenders. The coroner said Marta’s right to life was breached and failures caused it.
Marta was unlawfully killed. The killer was unmedicated for mental illness, resulting from poor release planning and inadequate post-prison management. Cole had possible paranoid schizophrenia and attacked inmates and officers in prison, after which he took medication.
Cole was released with medicine, but he had no fixed address and no care plan. The housing team provided temporary housing. After running out of medicine, he became violent, attacking other residents. Police arrested and evicted him, and his family booked him into the Travelodge.
The family tried unsuccessfully to obtain Cole’s medication. He had a psychotic episode and killed Marta at the Travelodge. Cole admitted manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. A court sentenced him to indefinite detention in a hospital because he hadn’t slept and lacked medication.
He had a doctor’s visit, but contact with out-of-hours doctors failed because he needed a prescription. The responsible police officer didn’t act by contacting his doctor or mental health services to express concern about the missing medication.
The coroner said proper care wasn’t given because his GP and mental health team wasn’t informed. He had psychosis in prison, possibly schizophrenia, and needed anti-psychotic medication. The prison health provider lost staff at a high rate, leaving remaining staff with no time.
The coroner agreed with Marta’s family that systemic failures breached the duty to protect lives. The prison had no mental health policy or system for care planning. Cole lacked release planning, and they didn’t refer him to community mental health.
The coroner criticized the police for failing to manage public risk after prison. Deficiencies existed in the police unit, causing it to operate incorrectly. The police failed to gather key information, and this failure in identifying risks mattered.
The coroner said she will give recommendations to prevent future deaths. Marta moved to the UK in 2015, working at a hotel in Scotland, then returned to Spain for studies. She worked in Preston and then Bournemouth later.
Marta went back to Spain during the pandemic, but later returned to the UK and worked at the Travelodge. Her family listened to the inquest from Spain, describing her as quiet and sensitive. Without Marta, their lives lack happiness and their solace is to stay united.
Lawyers represented Marta’s family and welcomed the coroner’s findings that the death could have been avoided. Better care and risk assessment mattered, and either step could have prevented the killing. The family struggles to comprehend these terrible facts.
The lawyers say the state failed to protect the public, and Marta’s case highlights system flaws. It isn’t enough to just learn lessons; clear action must occur. The family will watch for real change meant to stop future tragedies from happening again.