Helen Joy: Man guilty of murdering partner in flat

Kevin Ashton will be sentenced on 12 November

A murderer "went about his daily business" after leaving his partner to die from "horrific injuries" and hypothermia in their flat, police said.

Helen Joy, 54, was found dead in a property in Twickenham Drive in Leasowe, Wirral, on 1 February.

Her children said they had witnessed her being abused, manipulated and brainwashed by Kevin Ashton for years.

Ashton, 45, was convicted of her murder at Liverpool Crown Court on Thursday and will be sentenced on 12 November.

Merseyside Police said mother-of-three Ms Joy was murdered by Ashton on 31 January and her body was discovered the following day.

A post-mortem examination showed she died of multiple injuries with terminal hypothermia.

Helen Joy was killed by her partner in the flat they shared

In a statement released by police, Ms Joy's daughter Caisey Hyland, 21, said: "Life before Kevin Ashton was perfect. It was in a matter of months I started to notice changes in her lifestyle, her attitude towards her children and how she drank.

"I witnessed that man who abused my mum every day for no reason. She was scared, frightened and also scared to be on her own unless I was there."

Ms Hyland's sister Leanne, 37, said her life "crumbled into a million pieces" on 1 February.

"A few days, weeks, months have passed and I am still broken knowing the mum she was before Kevin came on the scene," she said.

Ms Joy's son Jack Tempest, 26, said he was "heartbroken" and added the family had been "torn apart".

Merseyside Police said it had increased officers in domestic abuse teams.

The force has also encouraged neighbours and friends of those suffering from domestic abuse to contact officers.

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]