Inquests open after triple murder in Castleford

Inquests have been opened into the deaths of a mother and two children who were found bludgeoned and stabbed to death at a house earlier this month.

Wakefield Coroner’s Court heard this morning that 51-year-old Geraldine Newman, and her children 11-year-old Shannon and Shane, six, were found dead at their home on Beeston Way, Allerton Bywater, on Tuesday February 2.

An inquest into the death of the children’s father, Ms Newman’s estranged partner Paul Newman, 44, was also opened at the coroner’s court in Wakefield this morning.

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Detective Chief Inspector Warren Stevenson said police were called to the house on Beeston Way just before 12pm on February 2 by a friend of the Newman family.

He said a paramedic pronounced Geraldine and Shannon dead at 12.11pm while Shane was pronounced dead at 12.15pm.

Det Chf Insp Stevenson said: “At 17.25pm the same day we were notified by police in North Wales of the discovery of a body near South Stack Cliff, Anglesey.”

He said the body was identified as Paul Newman, of Queen Elizabeth Drive, Normanton.

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Det Chf Insp Stevenson said: “Police are continuing to undertake enquiries into the circumstances of the deaths but at this time are not seeking to detain any other person in connection with the deaths.”

The coroner’s court was told that the bodies of Geraldine Newman and her two children were formally identified by Geraldine Newman’s brother Keiran Markey.

Coroner David Hinchliff said preliminary results of forensic post mortems revealed that Geraldine Newman died from head injuries and that Shannon and Shane both died from haemorrhages due to multiple stab wounds.

The inquest opening into Paul Newman’s death heard the unemployed driver was pronounced dead at 12.30am on February 3 at South Stack, Anglesey.

His body was identified using fingerprint records.

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A preliminary post mortem report revealed Mr Newman died of multiple injuries.

Mr Hinchliff issued cremation orders and interim death certificates and adjourned all four inquest pending the receipt of a full report from West Yorkshire Police.

Mr Hinchliff asked Det Chf Insp Stevenson to pass on his condolences, adding: “This is a tragedy for both families.”

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