Minister berates coroner's report on woman's murder

A cabinet minister has said a coroner's report on a woman's murder shows a "failure to understand violence against women".

Lucy-Anne Rushton, 30, was killed by her estranged husband Sean Dyson, 28, in a prolonged attack at her home in Andover in June 2019.

In a letter to Hampshire coroner Darren Stewart, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said his report "euphemistically" described the pair's relationship and did not show Dyson as accountable for the murder.

However, Chief Coroner Alexia Durran said the minister's complaints were "incompatible with judicial independence".

Dyson kicked, punched and stamped on Ms Rushton before claiming his wife had drowned when he threw water over her to wake her up, Winchester Crown Court previously heard.

Police found him hiding in a cupboard in a bedroom in her property hours after an initial search failed to locate him.

He was jailed for a minimum of 17 years in December 2019.

Hampshire coroner Darren Stewart raised concerns about information sharing between authorities who dealt with the pair in a Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) Report, which was first published in September 2025.

In her complaint, Phillipson, who is also Minister for Women and Equalities, said: "It is extremely disappointing to see your language... describing, euphemistically, a 'dysfunctional and toxic' relationship in which 'the nature of the relationship between both parties was abusive', which was 'a material contribution to [her] death'."

She added: "Furthermore you describe the cause of death as being 'multiple blunt force injuries', as if these injuries fell from the sky or were of unknown origin.

"The manner of her death was a sickeningly violent murder by her estranged husband."

Phillipson said the government would improve information-sharing, the quality of safeguarding referrals and support for families affected by domestic abuse.

She concluded that she had "concerns about the lack of understanding of violence against women evidenced by the report" as well as an incorrect process for sending it to her.

Responding, the Chief Coroner wrote: "Publicising brutality when it occurs is important, politically. However, a PFD report is not a political tool."

She said coroners were forbidden by law from appearing to determine liability and would "therefore never state that a particular person brutally beat and killed the deceased".

Durran concluded: "I am disappointed that you decided to include in your PFD response a criticism of the wording used.

"It is not appropriate for a member of the Government to criticise a judicial decision.

"Coroners are judges and criticising their decisions in this way is incompatible with judicial independence."

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