An inquest has opened into the 'terrible' deaths of a retired couple and a 51-year-old man at a retirement village in Buckinghamshire.

Susan Farrance, 65, Jeffrey Farrance, 67, and Lance Oldale, 51, were found dead in Orchard House retirement village in Spring Gardens, Bourne End, on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.

Assistant coroner Ian Wade opened an inquest into the three deaths at Beaconsfield Coroner's Court this morning (February 14), describing what Thames Valley Police previously called a "targeted attack" as a "terrible, terrible event".

Mr Wade confirmed the pathologists' conclusion that all three individuals died from stab wounds to the chest and abdomen.

The court then heard statements from psychiatrists and social workers about Lance Oldale's mental health, including a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and an attack on his mother in December 2021, after which he was admitted to The Whiteleaf Centre in Aylesbury for just over three months. 

Lance, who had been taking the drug clozapine, had reportedly experienced distorted thinking and auditory hallucinations and had expressed beliefs that he was related to the royal family and that hypnotist Paul McKenna was speaking to him inside his head.

In the months before the attack, Lance had told care professionals that he believed his mother, Louise Oldale, had been raped by her neighbour at Orchard House, an accusation she later told police had "no basis".

Louise lived in the apartment opposite Susan and Jeffrey's in the retirement village and she called the police on the evening of April 19 after learning that her son had been on his way to see her and upon hearing "terrifying screams" from across the corridor.

Mr Wade read statements from Thames Valley Police officers Andrew Convery and Alex Bantick and crime scene investigator Keith Calcutt, who said Susan and Jeffrey were both found lying on the floor of the apartment, while Lance was on the sofa with a carving knife underneath his body.

David Chapel, the brother-in-law of Lance's father John, with whom Lance had spent the day on April 19, told the police that he had seen packaging from a carving knife matching the brand identified at the crime scene at John's home in April.

Mr Wade also read a "poignant" tribute to Susan and Jeffrey from their children, William, Darren and Charlene Bryan, who attended the opening day of the inquest.

The tribute read: "We miss and love them very much. They were both kind and caring people who loved their children, grandchildren and family very much. They were always there for us and loved helping and supporting others.

"What has happened to them has been a shock to us all as a family."