Woman jailed for children's birthday party murder

Hope Rowe stabbed Charlotte Lawlor at a children's party in Stepney Green

A woman has been jailed for life for the murder of another woman at a children's birthday party in Stepney Green, east London, last year.

Hope Rowe, 33, stabbed 31-year-old Charlotte Lawlor in front of family and friends, including children, after an argument broke out at the party.

Rowe, who was given a minimum term of 23 years, was helped by her partner Leigh Holder to both flee the scene and dispose of the knife.

Police also recovered a voicemail on Rowe's phone where she had been recorded saying it was "good" she had killed Ms Lawlor.

Charlotte Lawlor's friends and family saw her stabbed to death

Witnesses told police they had seen Rowe drive away with her partner following the attack, just before 01:00 BST.

Armed police found Holder in his car in Tower Hamlets around an hour later, where he told them that Rowe had jumped out of the vehicle shortly after leaving the crime scene, and claimed he had no knowledge of her location.

Then, later the same morning, Rowe handed herself into Bethnal Green Police Station, where she was arrested on suspicion of murder.

She later claimed in court that her actions were due to a momentary loss of control.

Rowe's partner, Leigh Holder, was jailed for 16 months for perverting the course of justice.

Det Sgt Dean Musgrove described the pair's actions as "despicable" and said he hoped the sentence gave the victim's family "some closure".

He added: "This sentence shows that killers will be pursued even in cases where they attempt to mislead investigators."