Hotel 'not warned' about killer after police visit

A hotel was not told about a guest's unmedicated mental illness or criminal history before he killed a receptionist, an inquest has heard.

Stephen Cole, 32, launched a 42-minute assault on Marta Elena Vento, 27, who was working a solo night shift at the Travelodge in Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, on 9 December 2020.

The firm's head of security, Jason McKenna, said a police officer who visited the hotel did not explain that Cole was a sexual and violent offender.

Travelodge should have been told of any danger to staff or guests, he told the coroner.

Ms Elena Vento died after being punched, kicked and attacked with hair clippers, the coroner previously heard.

Cole said he attacked her because he felt "judged" when she smiled at him, the hearing was told.

In 2021, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility due to a psychotic episode and was given an indefinite hospital order.

Two days before the attack, a police sex offender manager went to the hotel to visit Cole, who had recently been convicted of indecent exposure.

The officer, Julian Humphries, told Travelodge staff it was for a "welfare check", the court was told.

During the meeting, Cole said people were knocking on his fourth floor window and listening to him through the fire alarms, the coroner previously heard.

Alarmed by a sudden change in Cole's demeanour, Mr Humphries quickly left, although he did not sense any danger, the inquest heard.

In a statement read by the coroner, Travelodge manager Carlos Barata said he was not told that Cole had recently been evicted from another hotel for allegedly attacking guests and staff.

Giving evidence, Mr McKenna added: "I appreciate the challenges faced by the police but I would have expected for us to be informed if there was any such individual in our hotel that posed a risk to staff or guests.

"I cannot think of any reason why we would not have evicted the individual."

He said Travelodge had supplied more body-worn panic alarms to staff following the death.

Ms Elena Vento apparently had no chance to activate her alarm during the "sudden, ferocious and unprecedented" attack, Mr McKenna added.

Previously, the inquest was told the killer was released from Winchester prison on 27 October 2020 with a four-week supply of the anti-psychotic drug olanzapine.

A prison psychiatrist had noted: "His risk to others will have to be closely monitored as he has assaulted prisoners and staff in an unprovoked manner."

However, prison healthcare contractor PPG did not alert Cole's GP about his release.

Cole's family, originally from Reading, rang the GP on 7 December because they were concerned about his lack of medication, the court heard.

However, the doctor said he could not renew the prescription without advice from a psychiatrist, the coroner was told.

Ms Elena Vento's parents and her brother, from Valencia, Spain, are following the six-week Bournemouth inquest by video link.

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