Unsolved Herefordshire attempted murder victim renews plea

Today marks 25 years since Clare Carmichael, then known as Clare Thomas, was brutally assaulted at a home in Leintwardine in an attack that has never been solved.

In an emotional plea, she said: “The life I wanted to live was taken away from me.”

On the morning of September 28, 2001, Clare, who was 36 at the time, returned to a house she had recently moved out of in the north Herefordshire village.

After entering the home, she became concerned that items appeared to have been moved.

She telephoned family members to share her concerns before ending the call and looking further around the house.

Moments later, she was attacked.

Police were alerted when relatives could no longer reach her by phone. Officers attended the address and found Clare unconscious on an upstairs landing at around 9.45am.

She had suffered what police describe as a prolonged and violent assault, leaving her with catastrophic head injuries. Doctors did not expect her to survive.

Although Clare pulled through, she spent months in hospital followed by an extensive period of rehabilitation. A quarter of a century later, she is still living with the consequences of that day.

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She has no movement in her right arm, limited mobility in one leg, impaired vision and ongoing difficulties with memory and speech.

Speaking on the anniversary, Clare said: “I still live with the impact of the injuries I suffered on that day.

“I struggle to walk and can’t use my right arm; this affects most daily tasks I do. The attack took away much of my independence. I have not been able to drive again.”

She said the effects of the brain injury continue to affect every aspect of her life, including her ability to find the right words in conversation.

“I struggle with speaking and finding the right words when I’m talking. This frustrates me as I really enjoy talking to people and being social,” she said.

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Clare said one of the hardest things has been the impact on her family life.

“My life has not been what it should have been. I wanted to be involved in every aspect of my children’s upbringing. I loved being an active mum with my two boys, but I wasn’t physically able to do this afterwards.

“So much changed for me on that day. The life I wanted to live was taken away from me.”

While trying to remain positive, she is still left with one overwhelming question for the person responsible.

“If I was able to talk to the person who did this, I would just want 10 minutes to ask why. Why did you do this to me? I would simply like the answer to that one question.”

The case remains one of Herefordshire’s unsolved crimes.

While a number of suspects were identified during the original investigation, no one has ever been charged.

Now West Mercia Police’s Statutory and Major Crime Review Team has reopened lines of enquiry, reviewing the investigation and examining whether advances in forensic science could help identify the attacker.

Detective Sergeant Amy Kitosi-Isanga said officers remain determined to secure justice for Clare.

“Twenty-five years have now passed since the attack on Clare but our commitment to securing justice for her remains as strong as ever,” she said.

“We know that someone, somewhere, has information about what happened that morning.

“Over the years circumstances change and loyalties change. We would urge anyone who knows anything about this incident to come forward and speak with us. Even the smallest detail could prove crucial.”

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the attack to get in touch.