AN NHS nurse was found nearly decapitated after the father of her four children stabbed her to death before killing himself, an inquest heard.
Esther Egbon, 30, was found dead in her BMW two hours before the body of her ex, Igie Erabor, 36 was found, Walthamstow Coroner's Court was told.
The estranged couple were found with horrific slash wounds to their necks in Dagenham, east London, on August 8 last year.
It is thought Erabor murdered mum-of-four Miss Egbon before taking the lift to the top of the tallest building nearby in a bid to kill himself.
But with no access to the roof, it was suggested he slit his own throat before being found in a pool of blood in the bin-chute room on the 16th floor.
Detective Constable Laurence Dight told the inquest: "I believe the logical and reasonable conclusion of mine, based on my information, is that he caused his own death after unfortunately and tragically taking Miss Egbon's life earlier on.
'MURDER SUICIDE'
"Police ruled that the incident was an isolated domestic murder suicide."
The day before the tragedy, Miss Egbon looked for articles related to her ex's fitness as a parent, evidence from the police investigation suggests.
Mental health sites were also visited including "should a mental illness mean you lose your kid?" and "the father of my kids has mental health issues. How do I explain it to them?"
Three days before the murder suicide, Mr Erabor was caught on CCTV buying a pack of craft knives from a Poundland in Romford.
Mr Erabor walked to Miss Egbon's workplace on the morning of the tragedy and waited for more than an hour until she finished her shift.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP:
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – [email protected].
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
CCTV shows the pair getting out of his car to sit in the back seat.
Miss Egbon, who worked at King George Hospital in Ilford, was found dead in the footwell of the abandoned car surrounded by craft knives.
A post-mortem revealed a "ragged gaping incised wound almost completely encircling the neck and had partially decapitated the head."
Miss Egbon also suffered cuts to her face, arm and leg and slashed hands where it was suggested she was defending herself.
Minutes later, her estranged husband was seen entering Hawkwell House which DC Dight described as the tallest building nearby.
HORROR STABBING
DC Dight said: "He tried to smash the window to get out of it. He still had the craft knife on him and carried out the actions to his neck which caused his death."
The inquest heard Mr Erabor called his cousin Mr Erhabo and told him he was going to kill himself.
In May 2015, their eldest son told police he had been hit by his dad with a cane or belt.
She later told her GP of domestic issues and said she felt stressed and requested counselling.
FAMILY'S AGONY
The current view is a domestic homicide review will not be conducted, but the case will be put to a Home Office quality assurance panel to make a final decision.
Senior Coroner Nadia Persaud recorded Miss Egbon's death as an unlawful killing with a medical cause of death as "incised wound of the neck and partial decapitation."
Mr Erabor's death was recorded as a result of suicide with a medical cause of death given as "incised wound of the neck."
Ms Egbon's family described her as an "extraordinary, kind and friendly" woman who "refused to be scared of Coronavirus" when her ward began to treat Covid patients.
In a statement read by the Coroner, Mr Erabor's family said: "Our brother was a wonderful father to his four children.
"He stabbed his wife and he stabbed himself, leaving behind four lovely children to this world.
"We are devastated. Words cannot explain how much pain and confusion the tragedy has brought into our family."
To donate to a Go Fund Me page to help Ms Egbon's family, please visit here.
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