Woman guilty of Christmas Day murder of ex-partner

Kirsty Carless was found guilty of murder after stabbing her ex-partner in the heart

A woman has been found guilty of murder after stabbing her ex-partner to death on Christmas Day.

Kirsty Carless, of Haling Way in Cannock, Staffordshire, killed 31-year-old Louis Price at his parents' Norton Canes home in the early hours of 25 December in an attack "motivated by anger and jealousy".

It came after Carless, 33, was sent a screenshot of Mr Price's profile on the dating app Tinder after a night of drinking at a pub, Stafford Crown Court heard.

After about a day of deliberation, a jury of seven men and five women unanimously found her guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Wednesday.

The trial was told Carless had been at the pub drinking double vodkas and cokes with a male friend on Christmas Eve.

She had sex with the man three times at his home before a female friend sent her a screenshot of Mr Price's Tinder profile, at about 01:30 GMT on Christmas Day, which the court heard made her angry.

Louis Price, 31, was stabbed to death by Carless on Christmas Day

Carless took a taxi back to her house where she picked up a kitchen knife before getting another taxi to Mr Price's parents' home in Elm Road, Norton Canes - arriving at about 03:00 GMT.

CCTV footage showed her running up the front path, the court heard, and she was seen "stalking" him around the garden.

He was later found with a single stab wound to the chest on the conservatory floor, the jury was told.

Before the murder, Carless called Mr Price 45 times between 02:15 to 02:44 GMT while she waited for her taxi.

The taxi driver, who waited for her at Mr Price's address, reported he heard a "very loud and prolonged scream".

She got back in the vehicle less than two minutes after arriving and was said to be "anxious and sweating".

Carless demanded the driver take her back to her parent's home where she admitted what she had done and the police were called.

CCTV footage showed Kirsty Carless stalking Louis Price around the garden

In her evidence, Carless said she had no recollection of stabbing him and "was not a violent person".

She said she picked up the knife because she intended to destroy a caravan he was staying in in his parents' back garden and had "panicked" after she stabbed him.

Carless was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a majority of 11 to one, over an attack in November 2024.

She was cleared of intentional strangulation in relation to the same incident.

Judge Mr Justice Choudhury said Carless would be sentenced on Thursday.

Carless was arrested after she fled to her parent's home in a taxi

Following the verdict, Mr Price's family said their lives have "changed forever" and their world would never be the same.

"We lost our son, brother, father, uncle, best friend and fishing buddy forever," they said.

"Our hearts ache just waiting every day to wake up from a nightmare.

"But we never will because this is our reality. A reality where Louis was murdered by the woman who he loved."

They said the trauma caused by Carless would never leave them and it would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

"Louis was the beating heart of this family. He was funny, vibrant and kind-hearted, and with losing him all of our hearts have a little piece missing," they added.