Hotel screwdriver killer Matthew Williams was Tasered three times, inquest hears

A former convict who was seen "eating" a woman he killed was Tasered three times before he became "floppy" and died, an inquest has heard.

Matthew Williams killed Cerys Yemm, 22, in his room at the Sirhowy Arms Hotel in Argoed, Blackwood, South Wales, in November 2014 – just a fortnight after he was released from prison.

Gwent Coroner’s Court in Newport heard the 34-year-old was Tasered three times after police officers burst into the room, three of whom tried to restrain him.

Raymond Miles, the husband of the hotel’s landlady, told the inquest that Williams started "spasming and he dropped to the floor" before a male officer put a knee on his back.

He said: "He is on top of him trying to keep him down because Michael was still struggling to get back up.

"There was a female officer holding his legs and there was another female officer holding his head."

Mr Miles added that Williams did not exhibit "extraordinary strength" before he went "floppy" and seemed to go unconscious.

Earlier in the inquest, jurors were told Mr Miles’ wife Mandy called police saying Williams had "put a screwdriver" through Miss Yemm’s face and was "eating" her.

PC Alan Cottrell told Gwent Coroner’s Court that as he arrived at the hotel it was mentioned "the male was eating the victim" and that firearms officers had been notified but "were a good distance from the hotel".

He said there had originally been a discussion about whether he and the other Taser-trained officers should go into the room or just "contain" the scene, before they decided "there was a clear threat to life".

PC Cottrell described Williams as a "large violent male" and told jurors he had dealt with the 34-year-old several times before.

In 2012, the repeat offender was Tasered by another officer but PC Cottrell said it did not work as Williams’ "intoxicated state" enabled him to "fight through it" and escape through a window.

PC Cottrell added: "Your mind is thinking straight away ‘It didn’t work on him last time due to distance; you have got to get a decent amount of distance in order for it to be effective on him this time’".

(c) Sky News 2017: Hotel screwdriver killer Matthew Williams was Tasered three times, inquest hears