Mother-of-two 'is beaten to death by her partner who attacked her with a hammer in front of their children before taking his own life at nearby reservoir'

Published: 21:09, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 21:09, 29 June 2026 A mother-of-two was fatally wounded when her partner bludgeoned her with a hammer in front of their children before taking his own life at a nearby reservoir, police believe. Zoe Marie Dixon, 35, died in hospital six days after the midnight attack by Nathan Thomas, 39, at the semi-detached family home in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, two weeks ago. Thomas fled the scene and was found dead at Ponsticill Reservoir in the Brecon Beacons four hours later. The couple's two children, aged 16 and 10, raised the alarm after he left the property. Zoe's family kept a bedside vigil at the University Hospital of Wales and there were signs she would recover. But she succumbed to her head injuries last Monday, six days after the attack, leaving both children orphaned. A GoFundMe page set up to help relatives care for them has raised £1,430, with supporters describing the pair as having 'lost the most important person ever to them.' Zoe had been with Thomas since her teens, but it is understood the couple were in the process of splitting up at the time of the attack. Zoe Marie Dixon died in hospital six days after being attacked by Nathan Thomas in Wales two weeks ago The mother-of-two was fatally wounded when Thomas bludgeoned her with a hammer in front of their children before taking his own life at a nearby reservoir The deaths have been reported to the Glamorgan Coroner, who is due to open inquests this week Zoe succumbed to her head injuries last Monday, leaving both her children orphaned A family friend said: 'It's the most dreadful scenario and everyone is thinking about the youngsters who lost their mam and dad in a moment of madness. 'They are part of a loving family who will do their best to bring them up but it's going to be hard for them at those ages.' The case is being treated as a 'domestic-based' situation and police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the investigation. The GoFundMe page said: 'The beautiful, lovely Zoe lost her fight this week, having her life taken from her at the hands of someone else. 'This awful and sudden turn of events has resulted in Zoe's two children, mother and brother losing a massive part of their close-knit family. 'Zoe was the most straight-talking, funniest, strongest woman but more than anything else was an amazing mother who did everything for her children. It's not her fault she isn't still here for them.' Laurie Williams, who set up the fund, said: 'There was hope Zoe was getting a little bit stronger when she was in hospital but she died on Monday. 'Their relationship was coming to an end and this is the fallout of it.' The deaths have been reported to the Glamorgan Coroner, who is due to open inquests this week. South Wales Police confirmed a woman was taken from the family home with serious injuries on June 16 and that a man was found dead in a reservoir on the same night. For confidential support, call Samaritans on 116 123, visit samaritans.org or visit https://www.thecalmzone.net/get-support  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.