Bridgend man in court charged with murder of Eleanor Barnfield

A 61-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a woman who suffered "stab wounds" and died following a crash.

Eleanor Barnfield, 47, died in hospital after police were called to a crash on Coity Road in Bridgend on Monday, where they found she had "puncture wounds unrelated to the collision". The BBC understands they were sustained in a stabbing.

Clifford Foster was arrested on Tuesday at the Ger-y-Nant retirement housing complex, close to where the crash happened, where he lived and Eleanor worked.

Speaking only to confirm his name, age and address, Foster appeared at Newport Magistrates' Court on Friday, wearing a grey tracksuit and using a crutch to support himself.

The incident led to a significant police operation, with specially trained firearm officers involved in a "stand off" at the retirement complex which lasted 12 hours, before an arrest at 01:00 BST on Tuesday.

Reports in some media had claimed Eleanor had crashed her car while driving herself to hospital.

On Thursday, the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAS) denied Eleanor was driving because of ambulance wait times , saying it was aware of "misleading rumours" circulating online.

It said medics were called to the crash on Coity Road at about 12:44 and a response unit arrived seven minutes later, adding two emergency ambulances then arrived to provide additional support at 13:07 and 13:13.

It described the rumours on social media as "contradictory" and "factually untrue".

"We would encourage members of the public not to speculate," the service said.

In a statement on Thursday, WAS said initial investigations were "unable to identify" any calls from Eleanor's phone numbers.

It said enquiries were ongoing to "establish if any calls were received by other means".

In a tribute, Eleanor was described by her family as the "kindest, most loving, bravest person in the world".

"She meant everything to us and will be forever loved and missed deeply by her devoted family and friends. She was our rock," they added.

The police confirmed the murder was not being investigated as a domestic incident, and encouraged the public "to not speculate about the circumstances" as court proceedings were now active.

Foster remains remanded in custody and will appear at Cardiff Crown Court on 26 October.

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