Eleanor Barnfield, a 47-year-old housing association worker, sustained a stab wound to her heart before crashing her car on Coity Road in Bridgend on 19 October, an inquest has established. She was discovered by paramedics with chest injuries following the collision and was taken to the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend, where she subsequently died. According to BBC News, the inquest opening at Pontypridd Coroner's Court on Thursday heard a provisional cause of death had been recorded as a stab wound to the trunk involving the heart.
Clifford Foster, 61, has previously appeared in court charged with her murder. The coroner's office detailed the circumstances of the discovery: paramedics found Barnfield with a stab wound to her chest after attending the road traffic collision. Coroner Rachel Knight determined it was necessary to open an inquest, though she ordered it to be suspended pending the outcome of the criminal investigation.
According to the Scottish Sun, Barnfield had made a 999 call, but the connection dropped out before she could complete it. She then drove approximately 300 yards before her vehicle crashed into a wall. Welsh Ambulance Services stated that its initial checks could not identify calls from Barnfield's phone numbers, and enquiries were continuing to establish whether calls had been received through other means.
Foster was arrested following a significant policing operation at Ger-y-Nant, a sheltered housing and retirement complex where he resided. The facility is managed by Valleys to Coast housing association, the organisation where Barnfield worked as a valued member of staff.
Ger-y-Nant comprises 13 flats within a sheltered housing and retirement complex with non-resident management staff. The facility accepts new residents aged 60 or over. Foster's arrest at the complex prompted a major police response involving armed officers.
Barnfield's family released a tribute describing her as the "most loving" mother and "bravest person in the world". In a statement issued through police at the time of her death, they said:
She meant everything to us and will be forever loved and missed deeply by her devoted family and friends.
Jo Oak, chief executive of Valleys to Coast, expressed the organisation's grief following Barnfield's death.
Eleanor was a much-valued member of the Valleys to Coast team, and her loss has been deeply felt by everyone who knew and worked alongside her.Oak continued:
She made an important contribution to our organisation and to the communities we serve, and she will be remembered with great warmth and affection by her colleagues.
The organisation stated it was "devastated by the tragic death of our colleague" and acknowledged the significant impact her loss had on those who worked with her.
What happens next in the case?
Clifford Foster is scheduled to appear at a plea and trial preparation hearing on 23 November 2026. A provisional trial date has been set for 12 April 2027, according to court records. The inquest remains suspended until the conclusion of the criminal proceedings.
Key Facts
- Eleanor Barnfield, 47, died on 19 October after sustaining a stab wound to her heart and being involved in a car crash on Coity Road in Bridgend
- Clifford Foster, 61, has been charged with her murder and arrested following a major policing operation at Ger-y-Nant sheltered housing complex
- Barnfield worked for Valleys to Coast housing association, which manages the facility where Foster resided
- The inquest at Pontypridd Coroner's Court has been suspended pending the outcome of the criminal investigation
- Foster's trial is provisionally scheduled for 12 April 2027
