Roger Leadbeater was discovered with 57 stab wounds and 19 incisions after the attack in Shortbrook Park on 9 August 2023. He was tragically pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman responsible, 32-year-old Emma Borowy, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. She told police she believed she was “tricked by the devil” into committing a “ritual sacrifice” and also claimed she was in communication with extraterrestrial beings through crystals.
An inquest revealed Borowy had absconded from her mental health facility in Greater Manchester just two days before the attack. Despite a history of repeated absconding, previous threats, and violent behaviour including killing animals with a knife, she was granted escorted leave due to miscommunication and flawed risk assessments.
Senior Coroner Tanyka Rawden said it was “likely” a full risk assessment would have prevented Borowy from being given leave. Records showed she had absconded nine times, attempted to abscond 15 times, and failed to return from leave three times. Just five days before Mr Leadbeater’s death, she had threatened to kill a friend in South Yorkshire.
Speaking outside court, Mr Leadbeater’s niece, Angela Hector, described the attack as “barbaric beyond comprehension”. She said:
“He was stabbed through his eye, his skull, his body torn apart. The only organ left intact was his heart. He fought with everything he had. Defensive wounds covered his hands, arms, and legs, but Emma Borowy kept going. This is like a horror film you cannot switch off. Except this is real. And it was Roger. Our Roger. The nightmares never end.”
Ms Hector called for accountability from both the police and the mental health trust:
“Emma Borowy put her trust in you to keep her safe and well. The public put their trust in you to protect us. You all failed on every level. You failed Roger. You failed us.”
The inquest also highlighted failures in communication between Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire police. Critical information regarding Borowy’s behaviour and threats was not passed to the mental health facility or other agencies, contributing to the tragedy.
Borowy died of suspected suicide in December 2023 while in custody after being charged with Mr Leadbeater’s murder. The coroner plans to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report to police forces, the Home Office, the College of Policing, and the National Police Chiefs’ Council to ensure lessons are learned.
Detective Chief Superintendent Laura Koscikiewicz of South Yorkshire Police acknowledged the shortcomings:
“We fully accept the learning opportunities highlighted during the inquest and that changes should have been made sooner around the handover of missing people to other agencies, to ensure key information is passed on. We are committed to delivering continuous improvement to ensure this does not happen again.”
