Former cage fighter who stabbed girlfriend jailed

Michael Ormandy was arrested shortly after his "ferocious" attack

A former cage fighter and boxer who murdered his girlfriend in what was described as "a vicious and ferocious" attack in which he stabbed her 27 times has been jailed.

Michael Ormandy, 34, attacked Rebekah Campbell 27 times at her flat in Huyton, Merseyside, on 15 April.

Rebekah, 32, had crawled outside shouting for help from neighbours after the attack at her home in Knowsley Heights, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Ormandy, of Linacre Road, in Litherland, was found guilty after a trial and sentenced to life with a minimum of 24 years.

The heard how when the emergency services arrived at Ms Cambbell's flat, she asked them, "am I going to die?".

She died later in hospital as a result of her injuries.

Ormandy, who has a tattoo across his neck that reads "The Hitman", was arrested the same evening as he walked on a nearby canal towpath.

He called the police and told them he was wearing a suicide vest and threatened to "blow everyone up".

Police and paramedics gave Rebekah Campbell treatment before she was taken to hospital

He also threw his mobile phone into the water just before he was detained.

About two dozen friends and family of Ms Campbell sat in the public gallery, all wearing pink ribbons.

Ormandy, wearing a white t-shirt and blue trousers, sat silently in the dock and smirked as the judge sentenced him.

There were shouts from the public gallery which Ormandy responded to as he was led away down to the cells.

'Dignity and courage'

Judge Andrew Menary KC said Ormandy was "a deeply unpleasant and very dangerous man" and that there was "no guarantee that you will be released at any particular time".

"You had been in a relationship for about four months," he said.

"Although there must have been good times, it was a relationship that was becoming increasingly turbulent and marked by frequent arguments.

"I'm sure Rebekah never armed herself with a knife at any time and never posed any threat to you. She simply told you to get out. That was enough to set you off on your murderous attack."

Det Supt Ben Myers, from Merseyside Police, praised the victim's family.

"Rebekah's family have shown dignity and courage throughout the trial, which must have been incredibly difficult as Ormandy chose to deny the offence despite the overwhelming evidence against him," he said.

"To claim his vicious attack was in self-defence and then trying to paint himself as a victim is utterly appalling.

"Ormandy will now rightly spend a significant amount of time behind bars and our communities are safer with him removed from the streets."