A schizophrenic woman, who neighbours claimed was obsessed with witchcraft, has died in prison while awaiting trial after being accused of the apparently motiveless murder of a council worker in Sheffield.
Emma Borowy, 32, an artist from Bolton, had been charged with stabbing to death Roger Leadbeater, 74, who was attacked at random while walking his dog in August.
She was being assessed as to her fitness to stand trial when she died last week in a suspected suicide at New Hall Prison in Wakefield.
It is understood she was being treated for mental health problems at the time of the killing, but her father, Karl Borowy, 64, said she had not been kept in secure accommodation despite the danger she posed.
He told the Daily Mail: “It seems she can escape any time she wants. That’s what she told my wife. I do think these units should be more secure. She must have escaped a dozen times in the past two years.
“I think perhaps mental health services are struggling and dealing with too many people. The counsellor she had seemed to change every few months. I don’t think Emma was taking her medication properly when she was out either.”
Neighbours said the mother of one had struggled with schizophrenia and police had been called to her home on numerous occasions.
One claimed she had an interest in witchcraft and had placed homemade voodoo dolls and star symbols around her house.
Another neighbour claimed she had been responsible for the slaughter of two goats that belonged to a local family.
Mr Leadbeater had been walking his springer spaniel, Max, in a Sheffield park when he was attacked. He died from multiple stab wounds.
It is not clear why Bowery travelled from Bolton to Sheffield on the day of the killing.
Paying tribute to him at the time of his death his family said he was a “good, hard-working and decent man”, who enjoyed his job driving children with special needs to school.
Borowy’s case has now been passed to the coroner but the judge dealing with the case described the circumstances as “sad beyond compare”.
Julian Hendy from the charity, Hundred Families, which supports people whose loved ones to mental health killings said there remained serious questions about the Borowy case.
He said the family wrongly believed Borowy was in a secure psychiatric unit when she is suspected of taking her own life.
