THE inquest into the murder of a Winchester woman by a violent sex offender is restarting today. (MON) The hearing collapsed last March after it heard evidence of how some authorities were unaware of the history of Anthony Rice, who stabbed Naomi Bryant, 40, to death at her home in Weeke nearly six years ago.

Rice, then 48, had been released from jail on temporary licence to Elderfield House in Otterbourne, despite having 22 previous convictions including rape, sexual assault and making threats to kill.

He committed the murder just nine months after being released from prison after a 15-year sentence for attempted rape.

Mrs Bryant, a mother of one, was stabbed some 15 times and strangled at her home in Rowlings Road, Weeke, in August 2005.

Rice, who admitted murder, was jailed for life in 2006.

The hearing in Winchester will hear from dozens of witnesses including police, probation service and prison service as well as the Langley House Trust that ran Elderfield. It is expected to last seven weeks.

The inquest will hear in detail how Rice was managed whilst near the end of the prison sentence and then in the months after his release, under the supervision of the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (Mappa) which is designed to manage violent offenders in England and Wales.

Mrs Bryant’s mother, Verna, said: “I hope this inquest will lead to a change in the law, to stop people who are mentally ill coming out and reoffending. Rice was a very ill man who had done it before.

“People are beginning to realize that the system is not as it should be. Things have come out about Rice assaulting young children. Some of the authorities knew about it but it was not passed on. That is negligence.”

Mrs Bryant, of Meadowland, Kings Worthy, added: “It will be nice when it is finally all over and we can get on with life.”