Man jailed for fatal mallet attack in 2009 on woman

Carolyn Kemp's son said witnessing the attack on her gave him "severe psychological scars"

A man who attacked his ex-partner over the head with a rubber mallet in front of their two young children has been jailed for life for her murder.

Carolyn Kemp, 34, was lured by Trevor Baker, 53, to his home in Romford, east London, in November 2009.

He then attacked her in the hallway as their son Callum, aged four, watched and daughter Kiera, aged three, hid under a blanket, the Old Bailey heard.

After Baker admitted Ms Kemp's murder in March, Judge Alexia Durran handed him a life sentence, reduced to five years and eight months due to the time he has already served in prison.

After the attack Ms Kemp was left in a pool of blood for 24 hours before she was found by her worried family.

She had suffered a permanent brain injury, and in 2010 Baker admitted attempted murder and was handed indeterminate sentence with a minimum term of eight years.

However, Ms Kemp died 13 years later in September 2022.

Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC told the court the couple had been together for nine years, but that following their separation Baker became depressed, drank heavily and became "fixated" with Ms Kemp.

The Old Bailey heard before the attack he confided in a neighbour he was planning to give away the family pet and said of his ex-partner: "I have got to kill her, she's got to go."

Trevor Baker attacked Carolyn Kemp in 2009 at his home

On the day of the attack Baker told Ms Kemp he was too ill to return their children to her after an access visit and she should collect them from his home instead.

Later, Callum heard a crashing sound and saw his father hitting his mother repeatedly over the head "as hard as possible", the court was told.

Baker then left with the children and used Ms Kemp's car to drive to his mother's house, with blood on the sleeve of his jumper.

He told his mother that he hit Ms Kemp with a rubber mallet and called an ambulance, leaving the door open.

But the Old Bailey heard Baker had not alerted emergency services, and Ms Kemp was not found for 24 hours until her concerned brother Christopher and their mother Sylvia forced open the door.

They discovered Ms Kemp lying on her right side with a large wound to her forehead, whimpering and covered in blood.

After she was taken to hospital police searched the home and uncovered drag marks, a clump of hair and various weapons, including a mallet in the shoe rack.

The family dog had been killed by Baker and was found dead in the shed.

'Deep childhood trauma'

The court was also told Baker had a history of violence and coercive and controlling behaviour towards women.

He has previous convictions for making threats to kill and assault, including on his ex-wife in 1997 and was on bail at the time of the attack on Ms Kemp.

In an emotional statement read to the court, Callum Baker said seeing the attack "left me with severe psychological scars I will carry with me for the rest of my life," adding his father was a "danger to society" and he hoped he would not "see the light of day".

Kiera Baker said in a statement read to the court that she had also suffered "deep childhood trauma".

She said after her mother was attacked "so horrifically", Ms Kemp was trapped in her own body - unable to move, talk or even give her a hug.

Ms Kemp's mother Sylvia Kemp, who went on to raise her two grandchildren, said: "You, Trevor Baker, will never know how much you have put my family through. Your actions ruined the lives of your innocent children for ever more."

Mitigating, Rudi Fortson KC said the defendant recognised he destroyed two families' lives and his children were "significantly affected" by his actions.

He said: "It is for those reasons that the defendant to his eternal credit pleaded guilty to attempted murder in 2010 and 15 years later pleaded guilty to murder."

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