Tributes have been paid to a much-loved NHS worker described as the 'face of Radiology' at a Greater Manchester hospital who was killed in a hammer attack by her life partner.
Illustrator Daniel Mitchell was in the midst of a severe catatonic depression when he bludgeoned beloved Alexis Karran to death at their home on Winchester Road in Dukinfield, Tameside, on November 6 last year.
He acted upon an ‘irresistible impulse’ during the attack on his partner of 23 years which left her with 20 unsurvivable injuries to her head, Manchester Crown Court heard.
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Heartwarming tributes have now been paid to Ms Karran, who was a radiologist working at Tameside Hospital. Jonathan Peacock, Divisional Director of Clinical Support Services at Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital told the Manchester Evening News: “Alexis’ warmth and compassion touched everyone she met at the Trust, both patients and colleagues.
“Not a day goes by when everyone who had the privilege of working alongside Alexis doesn’t miss her. She was the epitome of everything you could ever want in a friend and colleague.”
A memorial to Alexis was unveiled at Tameside Hospital's Radiology Department by her father in March this year. It reads: "Alexis had intelligence, maturity, and professionalism fused with kindness, fairness and fun. As 'the face of radiology', she was held in the highest regard by colleagues and patients, in fact by all who knew her.
"Alexis' loves included food - both cooking and eating out - nature and walking. Her knowledge of music was extensive making her the 'Shazam of the department, knowing who sang whichever song would come on the radio.
"Her loss is too vast to quantify, she will always be loved and never be forgotten." It is accompanied by a quote from the Les Miserables author Victor Hugo.
A neighbour of Ms Karran's on Winchester Road said: "I was the ornithologist (bird expert) for the Tame Valley at the time. They went for walks almost every day and she would tell me about which birds they had seen on their walks.
"She was very nice. A lovely lady. They kept themselves to themselves really but she would always say hello. We were so sad to hear what happened." Another said: "She was a lovely lady. It's just so horrible what happened."
At yesterday's sentencing hearing, members of both Alexis’ family and Mitchell’s family looked on as prosecutor Tania Griffiths KC spoke of the woman who was killed at the hands of the man who loved her most.
“Alexis Karran loved music. She loved walking and nature and bird watching. She made people happy and is described by her family and friends as totally selfless and one of the kindest people they know,” she said.
In a heart-wrenching statement read to the court by a detective, Leo Karran, the younger brother of Alexis said: “Due to the age gap between Alexis and I, I saw her as much older, wiser and more mature than myself. She was like another distant mother to me.
“I looked up to Lex all my life. I saw her as the one adult who respected me and had my back, and I could always speak to her and Dan if I needed to as well.”
He said he frequently gets emotional at the memory of Alexis and the details of her ‘awful’ death. “Before all this I was so close to her and felt close to Dan too,” he said.
“To me they seemed to have the ideal relationship, and their love for each other was what I aspired to have. If she was here she would have said: “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Dan, that things got so bad for you.”
Twenty minutes after attacking Alexis, Mitchell called the police and said he had ‘just killed his partner’. He later told consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Melanie Higgins: “The night before I don’t recall, but I didn’t have much sleep. I woke up, we were planning a Sunday dinner and friends were coming round.
“I started the day with trying to put some pictures up, however, the task felt like the biggest chore in the world. I just picked up [the hammer] and hit her with it, I don’t know why. I don’t know why but I went on hitting her until I thought she was dead."
The court was told here had been no previous suggestion of violence or abuse, and that a police investigation into Alexis’ death revealed no evidence of any ‘malicious motive’. His conditon was described as being so severe it had never been encountered before by the senior psychiatrist.
Mitchell will remain in a high security hospital until he is deemed fit to be released by a medical tribunal.
