A mother-of-three had her throat slit by a deranged intruder armed with a knife while she was home alone at breakfast time, an inquest heard.
Lisa Fraser, 52, from Pembroke Dock in Wales, was killed by stranger Mathew Harris, 41, after she discovered him in her home on the morning of May 13, 2022.
Harris confessed to the killing when he was arrested outside her house but was found hanged in his prison cell two weeks later while waiting trial.
An inquest has heard that Ms Fraser suffered ‘multiple sharp force injuries including a cut throat.’
Cleaner and former care worker Lisa was described as ‘loved and cherished’ by her family after the tragedy – and in their tribute they said they hoped she was ‘dancing in gold dust.’
Police were alerted hours earlier in the morning to a man matching Harris’s description causing criminal damage to a property and a vehicle in Neyland, Pembrokeshire, but officers were unable to find him.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Hughes then said that at 8am police had a call from a man who had been threatened in Pembroke Dock by another man who had ‘thrust a knife’ towards the open window of his car and said: ‘You’re going to die’.
The terrified man reversed his car and drove away from the scene to contact police.
Mother-of-three Lisa Fraser, 52, was killed by knife-wielding stranger Mathew Harris, 41
Firearms officers were sent to the road to carry out checks for the mystery knifeman.
But as police constables arrived in the street, Harris came out of Lisa’s house on Military Road in the seaside town.
DS Hughes explained that he came out with his hands up and said he needed to go to jail before putting his hands behind his back.
Harris then told officers: ‘I killed a Nazi. I’ve just killed a Nazi in there.’
Lisa was found in a pool of blood just before 9am in her terraced home in May 2022. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
When Harris was then arrested shortly after on suspicion of murder, he replied: ‘Guilty as charged.’
PC Simon Hayward, who was the arresting officer, said that Harris then proceeded to tell officers he had left ‘exhibits’ for them in the house.
He said Harris told them: ‘I have left things in there for you boys as evidence.’
Mrs Fraser’s whitewashed bungalow in the town guarded by police following the discovery of her body in May 2022
PC James Langford told the inquest a post-mortem examination at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff found Lisa died from ‘multiple sharp force injuries including a cut throat’.
She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Harris had a history of mental illness. The inquest also heard from James Jarrod, a friend of Harris’s dad. He said Harris had visited him at his home the day before the alleged murder wearing a balaclava.
Harris told Mr Jarrod that his mum died that morning of a ‘massive heart attack’, but when he phoned around he discovered she was still alive.
Harris, of Haverfordwest, was later charged with murder and remanded in custody.
But he was found hanged in his prison cell at HMP Long Lartin in Worcestershire on May 27, 2022 and died the following day.
An inquest into Lisa’s death was opened by the assistant coroner for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire, Paul Bennett, in Haverfordwest.
The inquest heard that Mrs Fraser was born in Kent and had moved to Pembrokeshire in 2003 with her husband, a self-employed carpenter, and her three children.
Killer Mathew Harris, who had a history of mental health and substance misuse issues, was found hanging in his cell on May 27, 2022, and taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, where he died
She had worked at several care homes in the area before becoming a cleaner in 2021.
A tribute from her family read: ‘Lisa was loved and cherished by her family and friends, and touched the hearts of everyone she had contact with. She will be missed by everyone. Lisa, we hope you’re dancing in gold dust.’
The consultant noted possible symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), possible symptoms of a personality disorder and ‘potentially a psychotic process with underlying delusional beliefs’.
An inquest earlier held in Worcester heard that during a police interview on May 5 Harris told officers he had intended to take his own life.
But he decided against it because ‘I thought no, I’ve got to reveal all this first’.
Harris, who had a history of mental health and substance misuse issues, was found hanging in his cell on May 27, 2022 and taken to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, where he died.
The inquest at Haverfordwest continues.
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