Woman stabbed ex with kitchen knife, court hears

Gillian Connelly died after she was found with serious injuries in a Gainsborough street on 28 July

A woman stabbed her former partner to death with a kitchen knife in an attack which came "out of the blue," a court heard.

Stephanie McLaggan, 38, formerly of North Warren Road, Gainsborough, denies murdering Gillian Connelly, 44, at the home of a mutual friend in Wheeldon Street on 28 July.

A postmortem report found Ms Connelly died from a stab wound to the left side of her chest.

At the start of the trial at Lincoln Crown Court on Monday, prosecution barrister Paul Cavin KC told jurors that he alleged Ms McLaggan had "deliberately stabbed a woman by the name of Gillian Connelly to death."

It is alleged the fatal incident was witnessed by a second friend, Susan Wasley, who had spent the night drinking and taking drugs with Ms McLaggan and Ms Connelly.

At around 03:00 BST on 28 July all three women ended up at the Wheeldon Street home of Jade Glover who was in bed, jurors heard.

"The attack came out of the blue," Mr Cavin alleged, after Ms Connelly got up and went into the kitchen to get a beer.

"The defendant's motive for that remains unknown except to her," Mr Cavin claimed.

"The defendant, according to Susan Wasley, followed Miss Connelly.

"She (Ms McLaggan) picked up a kitchen knife and after coming behind the deceased reached round and stabbed her."

Mr Cavin said Ms Wasley described the two women struggling on the floor and then Ms Connelly approaching the stairs where she shouted for Ms Glover to ring for an ambulance and that she could not breathe.

The court heard both Ms McLaggan and Ms Wasley left the house before Ms Connelly was declared dead after being moved out of the property onto the street.

'Known to each other'

Mr Cavin alleged Ms McLaggan was picked up in a BMW at around 05:00 and tried to hand herself in at Lincoln South Park police station at around 13:00 the same day but was turned away as she was not yet wanted at that stage.

A short time later Ms McLaggan was circulated by officers as wanted and spotted walking on Washingborough Road.

Ms McLaggan made no reply when she was arrested on suspicion of murder and declined to answer questions during police interviews.

Mr Cavin told jurors the prosecution understood it was Ms McLaggan's case that she did not kill Ms Connelly and that Susan Wasley was responsible.

"The defendant and Ms Connelly were known to each other," Mr Cavin explained.

"They had been in a relationship for about 18 years. That relationship ended about three years before this incident."

Mr Cavin said it would appear that Ms Connelly found the split difficult but the two women still socialised together.

"Unfortunately, that socialising included taking drugs," Mr Cavin explained.

The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.

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