Daniel Boulton trial: Mum and son 'repeatedly stabbed by violent ex'

Daniel Boulton denies murdering Bethany Vincent and her nine-year-old son Darren Henson

A mother and her young son were stabbed to death by her violent ex-partner before he fled and sparked a 24-hour manhunt, a court heard.

Daniel Boulton, 30, is alleged to have killed Bethany Vincent, 26, and nine-year-old Darren Henson at a house in Louth, Lincolnshire, in May.

Ms Vincent had a restraining order against her ex at the time.

Prosecutors said Mr Boulton admits the stabbing but says he was suffering from a mental health condition.

Opening the trial at Lincoln Crown Court, prosecutor Katherine Goddard QC said Mr Boulton's relationship with Ms Vincent began in March 2019 but he had become increasingly violent towards her and her family.

The court heard that following a complaint to police in November 2019 Mr Boulton was ordered not to contact her but "repeatedly broke it".

The weekend before the attack Mr Boulton had sent nearly 900 messages to Ms Vincent on Facebook.

Ms Goddard said Mr Boulton had also developed a "hatred" for Darren - also known as DJ - who had autism. He was also said to have threatened to "wipe out the blood line of her family".

On 31 May, the day of the attack, she said he walked 28 miles from his home in Skegness to Ms Vincent's home in High Holme Road where he repeatedly stabbed her and Darren.

When police arrived at the property they found Ms Vincent in the front room and Darren lying on the floor in his bedroom.

Ms Goddard said both had been stabbed and there were also "marks consistent with blunt force trauma".

The court heard Ms Vincent and her son had been due to move to an address unknown to Mr Boulton just a few days later.

Ms Goddard said that officers also found a nine-month old baby crawling around the house "untouched and unharmed but clearly distressed".

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Jurors heard that after the attack Mr Boulton had spent the night on the run.

Ms Goddard said at one stage he broke into an empty cottage at Hubbards Hills, on the outskirts of Louth, where he stole some alcohol, clothing and food and left a note saying "I, Daniel Boulton, take full responsibility".

The next day he allegedly stabbed an off-duty police officer who had tried to detain him before fleeing again.

He was later cornered in a barn and tasered after trying to get some of the armed officers to shoot him, the court heard.

Ms Goddard told the jury there is "no dispute" he stabbed both victims, but that he claims he was "suffering from a recognised mental condition which substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgement and exercise self-control".

Mr Boulton, of Alexandra Road, Skegness, denies murdering Ms Vincent and her son, assault with intent to resist arrest, and burglary.

The trial continues.