Mr Goswell, 66, was found badly injured in a wrecked Smart car in Monkmead Lane, West Chiltington, late at night on December 23 last year.

An inquest, opened in Chichester on Tuesday October 14, heard that he died at Worthing Hospital, shortly after midnight.

DI Adam Hibbert told the inquest that when police went to the family home in nearby Silverwood, they found Mrs Goswell, 63, dead in the living room.

She had been stabbed and hit with a blunt object.

Mr Goswell had a history of psychiatric problems, and the inquest was told that he had made threats to kill his wife.

He was sectioned in November 2007, after trying to take his own life.

DI Hibbert said Mrs Goswell had a previous relationship with a man from Worthing, and this had been preying on Mr Goswell's mind.

Mr Goswell's sister Marie King gave evidence, saying that Mrs Goswell had taken the threats to kill her very seriously, and had often discussed the matter with her.

"I just felt they were both let down," she said, adding that she felt health professionals could have done more to help her brother, and police could have done more to protect Mrs Goswell.

Joseph Goswell, youngest of the Goswell's three children, said he believed his mother was going to leave his father, but had wanted to get Christmas out of the way first.

"She loved Christmas," he said.

"The sad thing was, going to the house, that there wasn't a Christmas decoration up anywhere."

His sister Rebecca Merrick said: "More should have been done for somebody as desperate as my father, and for my mother."

Sarah Bevan, the oldest of their children, said: "We knew that he wasn't himself, and I was terribly fearful."

She added: "I feel that there was a tragedy which is lifelong for us and our children and potentially, people in the right places could have given them more care and, through taking these things more seriously, they might still be here today.''

The hearing continues.

To leave your tributes, email Tim Harris by clicking on his name or call 01403 751231.



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