Police had been called seven-months earlier to an altercation at a house where an 89-year-old academic died hours after her grandson lit a fire inside, a court has heard. 

At an inquest into the death of former UEA lecturer Vera Croghan, a Norwich-based court heard how officers were called to her property into the months leading up to her death. 

On July 1, on the first day of the three-day proceedings, Norfolk Coroner’s Court was reminded of the circumstances which happened in the moments before. 

Shortly after midnight on December 11, 2020, the force received a report of a late-night row at the Unthank Road property. 

Officers attended the scene but found that no offences had been committed. 

Hours later, at around 6.40am, emergency services were called to the scene of a house fire, with Mrs Croghan's body found inside as firefighters tackled the blaze. 

(Image: Newsquest)

Following her death, her grandson, Chanatorn Croghan - known as Marco - pleaded guilty to arson and manslaughter due to diminished responsibility. 

He was sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act. 

The court based at County Hall, was told that Marco had moved to Norfolk from Thailand in 2017 to study at Wymondham College Sixth Form. 

It was agreed that he would live with his grandmother but this circumstance changed after she broke her arm in early 2019. 

Officers attended her property in May 2020, after Marco’s father, Richard, called 999 claiming that his son had assaulted him there. 

 They were called again the following month after another incident where Marco was being “erratic” outside a neighbour's home. 

Paying tribute, the family described her as “well ahead of her time” and added: “There are no words for the trauma and violence of her passing.”  

The inquest continues.