Latest news with #KarenMathieson
BBC News
07-07-2025
- BBC News
'Social services destroyed my life,' wrote murdered teenage girl
A teenager murdered by a fellow care home resident who was fascinated by necrophilia wrote a letter detailing how social services had "destroyed" her life, an inquest has Mathieson was 18 when she was strangled by Jason Conroy at Alexandra House - which provided residential care for adults with autism and Asperger's in Knowle, Bristol - in October 2014. Conroy, now 28, was jailed for life in 2018 for the sexually-motivated killing, carried out hours after Miss Mathieson complained he had been stalking day one of her inquest, Avon Coroner's Court heard Conroy had previously attempted to kill his mother and had tried to strangle a teacher so he could abuse her. Miss Mathieson's letter titled Social Services Have Destroyed My Life was read to the court as part of written evidence submitted by her mother Karen Mathieson, who died from cancer a year after her daughter's death."I felt like I was dragged away from my home and everything I knew," wrote Miss Mathieson, who was from Windsor in Berkshire and had been sent to Alexandra House by social services at 18."They never took into consideration my age or the distance from my family. I was still a child, just very confused." Mrs Mathieson wrote "the system" had failed both her daughter and Conroy, adding learning of Conroy's previous violent behaviour had "compounded" the family's "anger"."Melissa did not have a nasty bone in her body. She was a gentle, kind and lovely girl," Mrs Mathieson added."Not only has Jason Conroy ended Melissa's life, but he has also ended his own. He should have had his problems addressed a long time ago." Nearly a decade on from her own death, Mrs Mathieson's written evidence described how her daughter had "lived in a bit of a fantasy world".She explained she had been influenced by the Tracy Beaker stories about a child who lived in a children's home. This was echoed by James Mathieson, who said his daughter had an "obsession" with the series."This was partly driven by her condition but was also inspired by the fact that she had always struggled to make friends her own age," he said. He described his daughter as a "very loving person" who was "always full of cuddles" but said she "struggled from a very early age". He explained there were times Melissa "would make allegations" and "social services would get involved". Mrs Mathieson described interactions with social services as "impossible" and wrote they "did not seem to realise that Melissa loved the attention she got from people in authority". Miss Mathieson's family said by the time she was 16 they felt they "no longer had a voice" and claimed social services were "putting ideas in her head about living away from home"."Ultimately, it was this that put Melissa in danger," Mrs Mathieson said. 'How wrong I was' In a statement Mr Mathieson said he and his wife were "sure" sending their daughter "to another care home in a big city was not going to help her".However, he eventually suggested she should go as she was turning 18 and it could "possibly help her"."How wrong I was," he said. "I have to live with the consequences of that every day." He told the court how it had quickly "become clear" Alexandra House was not the right place for her."They didn't seem to know anything about Melissa," Mr Mathieson said. The court also heard how Miss Mathieson had been hospitalised for severe anxiety at 16, after which she developed psychosis. Her mother's evidence described how her daughter was "pumped full of drugs"."When she came home, she would have further outbursts," Mrs Mathieson added. "It was a truly horrible year."Despite her family arguing Miss Mathieson's learning disability meant she should not be able to make a decision to move away from home, by 18 she was living at the facility in Bristol."We were told that Melissa was going to Alexandra House to get her behaviour back on track, but actually she got killed by the very things that we always tried to teach her to be wary of," Mr Mathieson wrote. Alexandra House was fined £125,000 after admitting health and safety charges in failing to protect Miss Mathieson.A serious case review into her death found care home staff had not acted on recommendations in a forensic report had warned Conroy had "a high risk of future physical and sexually harmful behaviour".The serious case review, published by Bristol Safeguarding Adults Board, said a failure to act on previous warnings of Conroy's behaviour had cost Miss Mathieson her inquest continues.
Telegraph
07-07-2025
- Telegraph
Social services destroyed my life, said teenager before she was murdered in care home
A teenager said 'social services destroyed my life' before she was murdered by a fellow care home resident fascinated by necrophilia, an inquest heard. Melissa Mathieson, 18, was strangled by Jason Conroy at Alexandra House in Bristol, which provided residential care for adults with autism and Asperger's syndrome, in October 2014. Conroy, now 28, was jailed for life for the sexually motivated killing. Avon Coroner's Court heard how he once tried to strangle a teacher so he could abuse her and had also attempted to kill his mother. The inquest, 10 years after Miss Mathieson's murder, was attended by her father, James. In the letter titled Social Services Have Destroyed My Life, Miss Mathieson wrote: 'This was a terrible time for me, and I felt like I was dragged away from my home and everything I knew and being completely disrupted. 'They never took into consideration my age or the distance from my family. I was still a child, just very confused.' The letter was read to the court as part of the written evidence of Miss Mathieson's mother, Karen, who died from cancer a year after her daughter's death. Mrs Mathieson said 'the system' had failed her daughter and had also failed Conroy. 'We know better than most people the difficulties that autism can present, for our feelings about Jason Conroy are not based on ignorance of his condition,' she said. 'What he has done is awful, we cannot comprehend it, so many people cannot comprehend it. 'Melissa did not have a nasty bone in her body. She was a gentle, kind and lovely girl. 'Not only has Jason Conroy ended Melissa's life, but he has also 'ended' his own. He should have had his problems addressed a long time ago. 'We question the professionals who have had the responsibility for his care, as much as we do of those who had a responsibility for Melissa's care. 'When we found out about his previous behaviour, it just compounded our anger at the system and its failings. 'There were warning signs, these were missed and now nothing will bring Melissa back. 'We feel that it is only now, since the horrific circumstances of Melissa's death, that we have been treated with dignity and respect from professionals that we have come into contact with.' Miss Mathieson, from Windsor, Berkshire, had been sent to Alexandra House by social services when she turned 18, having spent the previous two years in a series of placements. 'Lived in a fantasy world' Mrs Mathieson said her daughter was immature for her age, 'lived in a bit of a fantasy world' and had been influenced by the Tracy Beaker stories about a child who lived in a children's home. 'This was because she didn't have her own group of friends, didn't get invited to parties and that sort of thing,' she said. 'Her behaviour was played out to us, we would put our foot down because she did not have anything to compare it to – she thought we were being hard on her. 'This meant that there were times that Melissa would make allegations and social services would get involved. 'They did not seem to realise that Melissa loved the attention she got from people in authority and would often play them to get what she wanted. 'However, from the age of about 16, we felt that we no longer had a voice. 'Social services were putting ideas in her head about living away from home and ultimately, it was this that put Melissa in danger.' Mrs Mathieson said that at 16 her daughter needed hospital treatment for severe anxiety. 'This was a real turning point as Melissa was pumped full of drugs and by the next morning, when we saw her, she was psychotic,' she said. 'Melissa was never the same girl after this psychosis. 'Then when she came home, she would have further outbursts. It was a truly horrible year.' Mrs Mathieson added: 'By the time Melissa was turning 18, the seed had been firmly set that her problems were at home and that she would be better if she took that independent living placement. 'We were told that Melissa was going to Alexandra House to get her behaviour back on track, but actually she got killed by the very things that we always tried to teach her to be wary of.'
