A WIDOW whose husband was stabbed to death in a Poundland store is still battling for justice a year after his death.

Mum-of-twins Gulsen Alkan is urging the Oxfordshire coroner to probe the authorities about Justin Skrebowski's killing, questioning apparent failures that meant his psychotic killer Trevor Joyce, 37, was released from mental health care.

Joyce was jailed for life in June and sentenced to at least nine years in prison.

And her lawyers have highlighted alarming incidents that Mrs Alkan said were echoed in a damning confidential report by Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, responsible for mental health care, earlier this year.

They include:

* A claim that Joyce had been into the Poundland branch just days before he killed, took a knife off the shelves and slashed his own skin before later telling his doctor he wanted to stab customers.

* Joyce reportedly told his doctor that he 'could not guarantee' he would not use a knife to attack his neighbours near his home in Abingdon's Franklyn Close.

The North Oxford resident said she does not blame schizophrenic Joyce for attacking Mr Skrebowski in Abingdon's Poundland, but accused healthcare practitioners of failing to protect the public from an 'avoidable' tragedy.

Oxford Mail:

Gulsen pictured her with husband Justin

Speaking to the Oxford Mail yesterday on her 40th birthday, exactly one year after he was attacked while buying balloons, Mrs Alkan said: "Questions need to be asked about why this man was out there.

"I'm still having difficulty accepting it – this was avoidable. It brings all these questions about why this happened. It's not fair."

Her solicitors at Birnberg Peirce have asked the coroner to resume the inquest of 61-year-old antiques dealer Mr Skrebowski, who was father to four-year-old twins.

Oxford Mail:

Justin was said to be 'so proud' to be dad to their twins

His inquest was opened by coroner Darren Salter last December but a date has never been set for the full hearing.  

According to guidance inquests involving killings are usually adjourned during criminal proceedings and it is the coroner's prerogative whether to resume afterwards.

But the London law firm now involved, which has also fought for victims of the Hillsborough disaster, wants to question events leading up to the fatal daytime attack on December 7 last year.

It previously emerged that Joyce was released from Littlemore Mental Health Centre at the end of October 2015, apparently against the advice of his doctor, and just weeks before the killing.

Oxford Mail:

Trevor Joyce was said to have told his doctor he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't attack his neighbours 

Mrs Alkan has also campaigned for better safety of knife sales after her husband's death leading to major retailers, including Poundland, to sign up to tighter regulations.

The firms agreed to store knives safely in packaging or behind counters.

Mrs Alkan hoped new guidance about packaging and visibility might prevent repeat attacks by making knives less accessible.

She said her son Enes and daughter Rosy have got her through the past year, adding: "It was such a shock. Happiness had finally came to Justin and he couldn't enjoy it.

"The kids wake up every morning and that means I have to help them get dressed and ready for school. If I didn't have them I would feel like I was in the middle of nowhere. He was the meaning of my life. He was so kind and funny and intelligent. He left some sort of mark on you if you met him. He was so proud to be a dad."

Oxford Mail:

Flowers outside Poundland in Abingdon on the one-year anniversary of Justin's killing 

Mrs Alkan said the ordeal has made her stronger, forcing her to learn to drive and take over Mr Skrebowski's antique picture framing business in Shippon.

If the coroner refuses to open the case she pledged to 'make a noise about it', adding: "If they do that, what are they hiding?"

Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust spokeswoman Charvy Narain said: "Our own internal review has been completed and its findings have been shared with NHS England which has commissioned an independent external review.

"Its findings will be published and we will take account of any further learning from their report. We again offer our condolences, sympathy and support to Mr Skrebowski’s family."

NHS England spokesman Tim Wiseman said investigating any mental health homicide is protocol, and said its report would not be published until spring 2017.

Paul Smith at Oxfordshire County Council said the coroner had not yet made a decision about whether to reopen the inquest.