Jonas Hankin KC was instructed by West Midlands CPS Complex Casework Unit to prosecute a case concerning the murder of a 31-year-old man by his former partner on Christmas Day 2024. Michelle Heeley KC leading Josh Purser defended. The defendant admitted unlawfully killing her former partner by stabbing him with a carving knife but denied that she intended to kill him. Alternatively, the defendant sought to establish the partial defence of diminished responsibility, placing reliance upon expert forensic psychiatric opinion that, if the jury were to accept that she was a victim of chronic domestic abuse, there was evidence that she was probably suffering from PTSD, which substantially impaired her ability to exercise self-control and was a significant contributory factor in causing her to kill her former partner. The prosecution argued that the killing was premeditated: before travelling to her former partner’s home address, where the offence was committed, the defendant had acquired a weapon and a spare key, so that she could gain entry and kill him. The defendant gave evidence, as did a consultant forensic psychiatrist called on her behalf. No psychiatric evidence was called by the Crown. The defendant was found guilty of murder and was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment by the Hon. Mr Justice Choudhury.
