Samatha Gosney murdered by boyfriend after funeral row

Adam Brettle admitted stabbing Samantha Gosney to death

A "controlling and jealous" boyfriend stabbed his partner to death after her plans to attend her grandmother's funeral sent him into a rage.

Adam Brettle, 24, repeatedly stabbed 29-year-old Samantha Gosney at her home in St Helens, Merseyside.

The mother-of-two dialled 999 as the attack began but fell silent during the call, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

Brettle, of no fixed address, admitted murder and was ordered to serve life with a minimum of 19 years.

The court heard the couple had been arguing in the days leading up to 22 November 2018, when the funeral of Ms Gosney's grandmother took place.

She said she wanted to go to the service and the wake, but Brettle did not want her to.

Samantha Gosney was described as a "gorgeous" and "loveable" woman

She did attend, but Brettle rang her constantly while she was there and witnesses heard him swearing down the phone and demanding she come home, prosecutors said.

An hour after she got home, she texted her cousin to say Brettle had punched her and given her a black eye.

Two days later at 11.40 GMT, Ms Gosney rang 999 and told the call handler Brettle was attacking her at her home in Swan Avenue, Derbyshire Hill.

"She then screamed and said he had a knife and was about to stab her. Her breathing then began to falter and she fell silent," the Crown Prosecution Service said.

When emergency services arrived, Ms Gosney's lifeless body was found in a pool of blood.

'Gorgeous bubbly girl'

District crown prosecutor Keith Drummond said: "The paramedics said the scene that met them when they got to the flat was 'pure butchery' and the attack appeared to have been 'frenzied and gruesome'."

Det Sgt Lisa Milligan described the case as "Shocking and heart-breaking".

She added: "Our investigations found Brettle to be a violent, jealous and controlling man who consistently refused to take responsibility for his actions that night."

In a statement read to the court, Ms Gosney's mother Joan said "her world fell apart" that night.

She continued: "I will hurt everyday forever. Samantha was a gorgeous, bubbly girl always full of beans and so loveable, and to think that I will never see her again is so very hard indeed."