Care home was told teenager's killer 'posed a risk'

Managers at a care home where a teenage girl was murdered by another resident were warned her killer was dangerous, an inquest has heard.

Jason Conroy was sentenced to life in prison after strangling Melissa Mathieson, 18, at Alexandra House, in Bristol, in October 2014.

Avon Coroner's Court heard how Alexandra House was warned about Conroy when he was moved there after trying to strangle a teacher.

Conroy, now 28, had also previously tried to kill his mother but his previous school had not been fully aware of the incident.

"It [was] clear that they were not dealing with a young adolescent with learning difficulties, but someone with clear difficulties with behaviour around sexual boundaries," educational psychologist Sally Kane, told the inquest.

A report on Conroy - made after the incident with the teacher - found that he posed a risk due to his sexualised behaviour and he was later moved to Alexandra House.

Ms Kane told the inquest she met Yvonne Hin, the then-manager of Alexandra House, ahead of the move.

"We were really worried about the risk not being managed and that's why the documents were sent [to Alexandra House] more than once," she said.

"We shared the report with Jason's local authority [Guernsey] and I am sure they shared it with them."

Ms Kane says she was told that there were no on-site clinical staff and that residents were able to use external NHS services.

"I remember being absolutely aghast as she [Ms Hin] seemed to have no understanding of the risk," she said.

Social Services sent Ms Mathieson to Alexandra House from Windsor when she turned 18, having spent the previous two years in different placements.

Earlier, the inquest heard from her father, James, who said he and his wife Karen had not been listened to by social services.

"All we had ever wanted was to be given the support we needed to become Melissa's primary carers and to try to provide her with a stable environment," he said.

"I spoke to Melissa on the night before she died. It was a nice conversation. She sounded tired. I told her to go to bed as she needed to sleep.

"She was killed in her sleep. I have to live with that.

"Karen and I blame Jason Conroy for our daughter's death.

"But at the same time, how can we blame him when he had said what he was going to do to professionals and was allowed to carry it out.

"We blame the people who put him there with Melissa."

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