An estranged husband strangled his wife with a metal strap and savagely beat her son and left him for dead before throwing himself off a motorway bridge, an inquest heard.
University of Nottingham student Claire Nagle, 38, was killed by her husband Vincent, 44, at their home in Borrowash, Derbyshire.
He also beat her 22-year-old son with a shovel, a floor tile and shot him with a nail gun before leaving him for dead beneath a tarpaulin cover then threw himself off a bridge on the M1 on December 16, 2016.
Speaking at an inquest into their daughter’s death, Mrs Nagle’s grief-stricken parents said she had been training to become a psychiatric nurse because she ‘loved helping others’.
They said of Vincent: ‘He took our beautiful daughter and robbed his own children of both parents.’
University of Nottingham student Claire Nagle, 38, was killed by her husband Vincent
Vincent strangled his wife at their home in Borrowash, Derbyshire before taking his own life
Speaking at an inquest into their daughter’s death, Mrs Nagle’s grief-stricken parents said she had been training to become a psychiatric nurse because she ‘loved helping others’
The funeral of Claire Nagle took place at Derby Cathedral, with emotional tributes paid to the daughter and mother
Derbyshire Coroners’ Court heard that Nagle was depressed and just days before his violent spree began, police had been contacted about his behaviour and concerns had been raised that he was going to take his own life.
In the weeks before his death he told doctors he was suffering from tinnitus, was struggling with work and was having relationship problems. However, he refused counselling and anti-depressants.
The 38-year-old had dreamed of becoming a psychiatric nurse
Detective Constable Caroline Van Schaick told the hearing Nagle had been violent towards Claire in the past.
She said their 16-year relationship was strained and there were frequent rows and that, by 2016, the ‘relationship had broken down’.
After the inquest’s conclusion, Mrs Nagle’s brave parents, Joy and Martin Paton, paid an emotional tribute to their daughter.
Mrs Paton said: ‘We’re relived. Glad it’s all over. We are happy with the verdict.
‘Claire was wonderful. So vibrant, so bubbly and everyone loved her.. It’s sad. She would have made a brilliant psychiatric nurse. I’m glad she is getting her degree because she worked hard for it.
‘She helped others. That’s what shows what sort of person she was. We knew that anyway. The verdict was just confirmation really.’
When asked what her legacy would be, she said: ‘Five beautiful grandchildren.’
Mr Paton said: ‘She was a light in our world.’
Mrs Paton added: ‘A light that will never go out. She will always be there.’
Her parents said Claire was: ‘A light that will never go out,’ adding: ‘She will always be there’
The University of Nottingham has now pledged to create an award in Claire’s name
Her parents said the university are going to create an award in her name.
Mrs Paton added: ‘She will always be mentioned. We just want to move on now and start to focus on the kids.’
She said she was relieved the hearing had come to an end.
‘It’s the waiting, the not-knowing. The unanswered questions, even questions we’re not going to get answers to,’ she said. ‘It’s had an effect on everybody. It’s like having a black cloud over you. You can’t get out but now it’s ended. I’m happy with the results.
‘Want to thank everybody who had anything to do with the people of Borrowash who went above and beyond. If it had not been for them would not have got through those first two weeks.’
She also praised the media for the way they had handled the story.
The Nagles were living together as a family but Mrs Nagle left and took her two youngest children with her to another address in Borrowash.
Coroner Louise Pinder said by this point ‘it appeared his mental health had deteriorated quite significantly’.
The terrible events of December 16 began when Mrs Nagle went out to drop her children off at school.
Mr Nagle let himself in the back door of the house.
She returned home at around 9am. He strangled her with a metal strap. She died between 9.03am and 9.30am.
Mr Nagle then returned to his home address of Station Road where he launched a ‘vicious attack’ on his step-son Nathan.
Giving evidence, DC Van Schaick, said Nathan was at the address alone.
After getting some breakfast, he returned to his bedroom to play on a games console.
She said: ‘Between 9.30am and 10am, he heard somebody coming back home. He described how Vincent asked him to move his car from the driveway. He was then struck on the back of the head by Vincent who was holding some sort of shovel.
‘Nathan says he threw himself down the stairs to get away. Vincent was calm and had a smirk on his face.’
She said Nagle repeatedly beat him. Nathan asked him whether he was going to kill him or not and urged him not to.
Nagle said ‘your mum said there was no chance of us getting back’. Nagle then told Nathan he was ‘going mental’.
More blows from a shovel, a floor tile and also a shot from a nail-gun followed.
He threw a tarpaulin over Nathan and ‘left him for dead’.
Nagle later made contact with his brother, Joe, who was working from home in Sandicare.
DC Van Schaick said: ‘He (Joe) thought Vincent had lost it. He tried to calm him down.’ He went to the house because he was concerned about his brother.
He did not enter the home and Nagle told him: ‘I have killed her and I have killed Nathan.’
DC Van Schaick said: ‘He did not think for a second he had killed anyone and he tried to calm him down.’
They drove along the M1 and Nagle said he wanted to drop his brother off at the Trowell Services.
DC Van Schaick added: ‘He pulled up on the hard shoulder. He tried to run out in traffic.’ Despite his brother trying to stop him, Nagle ran to the overhead bridge and dropped to the motorway.
Miss Pinder ruled he committed suicide.
Before his death he had left a note which talked about the broken down relationship, how he wanted to return to being a family and how he said he could not go on.
DC Van Schaick added: ‘Claire and Vincent had a significant relationship breakdown. Vincent was struggling to come to terms with that. Vincent had lost his job and was suffering from tinnitus.’
In her conclusion, Miss Pinder ruled that Mrs Nagle died after being strangled by Vincent with a metal strap.
She said Claire was ‘unlawfully killed’ and Vincent committed suicide.
She said: ‘Vincent Nagle suffered fatal injuries when he fell from a bridge over the M1 at 11.28am on 16 December. He died at the scene. Claire was found at 11.35am. She was taken to the Royal Derby Hospital and was declared dead at the hospital at 12.41pm.
‘Their relationship had broken down. Mr Nagle struggled to accept this.’
She said his last contacted with the doctor was on December 14.
But, she said she care he received had been ‘proportionate’. He was offered anti-depressants and counselling but declined both.