Great Denham family died from head injuries after alleged murder
An inquest has revealed that a mother and her two daughters found dead in their Great Denham home died from head injuries. The father has been arrested in South Africa and faces murder charges, while the police watchdog investigates prior contact with the family.
Why it matters
The case highlights a tragic domestic homicide and raises questions regarding police oversight and welfare checks in the UK.
Image source, Bedfordshire Police/Contributed Image caption, Nothabo Zandile Tshuma and daughters Nala, five, and Natalie, 15, were found in their home on 7 July
A mother and her two children, who are believed to have been murdered by their father, died from head injuries, an inquest has heard.
Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 42, and her daughters Natalie, 15, and Nala, five, were found dead by police in a house in Great Denham, near Bedford, on 7 July.
Coroner Emma Whitting opened and adjourned an inquest into their deaths at a hearing in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, on Tuesday.
Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, 45, who is Nothabo's husband, was arrested in South Africa earlier this month and UK prosecutors have authorised murder charges against him.
Statements from the coroner's officers revealed the mother died from "head injuries" while the children's cause of death was listed as "blunt force head injuries".
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