An 84-year-old Maltese woman has been found murdered in her home in a quiet village in north Shropshire, with an 80-year-old man arrested on suspicion of her murder after police were called to the property.
Police were alerted to the detached house in Prees Higher Heath, near Whitchurch, at around 3.05pm on Tuesday following a concern-for-safety report. Officers discovered the woman unresponsive inside the home, and she was pronounced dead a short time later.
The victim has been named locally as Rita Rowley, who had lived at the property for more than 40 years. Neighbours said she rarely left the house in recent years and had not been seen since Christmas.
An 80-year-old man, understood to be her long-term partner of around 15 years, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder. He was taken to hospital due to potentially life-threatening injuries and remains under police guard while receiving treatment.
Mrs Rowley, who was originally from Malta, was described by those who knew her as kind, caring and private. She was formerly a trustee at an Age UK day centre but had stepped back more than 18 months ago after being diagnosed with dementia, according to former colleague David Hack, who said she “liked a joke” and “would do anything for anybody”.
She had previously battled cancer and undergone chemotherapy, which she was believed to have overcome. Mrs Rowley married her husband Wilfred Rowley in Sliema, Malta, in 1962, while he was stationed on the island with the British Army. He later died in a car crash in 2002. The couple had a son and a daughter, and Mrs Rowley is understood to still have family in Malta.
Neighbours described the couple as quiet and rarely seen, with several saying they had only seen them delivering Christmas cards shortly before the holidays. Many residents said they were shocked by the incident in what is normally a peaceful rural community.
Forensic teams have carried out examinations at the property, and there has been a constant police presence in the area since Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement, West Mercia Police confirmed the woman’s next of kin have been informed, although formal identification is still pending.
Photo credits to shropshirestar