Newmarket man guilty of murdering ex in unprovoked attack

Charles Jessop stabbed Clare Nash multiple times and strangled her

A man has been found guilty of murdering his ex-girlfriend in a "pre-meditated and unprovoked attack".

Clare Nash was stabbed multiple times and strangled by Charles Jessop at her flat in Newmarket, Suffolk, on 16 January 2020.

Ipswich Crown Court heard Jessop was "jealous" about Ms Nash's new relationship and that the 33-year-old contacted police with concerns about his behaviour on the day she died.

He is due to be sentenced on 16 July.

The mother of two was "deeply, deeply loved and will be missed", her father said

Prosecutor Mark Cotter QC said Mr Jessop took a knife and cycled to Ms Nash's flat, where he waited until she returned home before attacking her.

"This was a revenge attack borne of jealousy by a man who wouldn't accept that Clare Nash had rejected him and entered into a new relationship," he said.

"The knife broke during the attack, which likely explains why he went on to strangle her."

Jessop, 30, of Bakers Row, Newmarket dialled 999 but Ms Nash was pronounced dead at the scene.

A pathologist could not say whether Ms Nash died by strangulation or from blood loss, with her cause of death recorded as a combination of both.

Charles Jessop pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murder

The court heard there had been a "number of violent incidents" as their relationship deteriorated.

When Ms Nash began a new relationship, Mr Jessop "continued to be obsessed" with her, Mr Cotter said.

Ms Nash had spoken to police about him on the morning of the day she died and the level of risk to her was assessed as "medium", Mr Cotter said.

She was "given advice" and agreed to email police a recording of one of Mr Jessop's phone calls, but the recording did not arrive until the following day - "probably due to the size of the file", said the prosecutor.

Suffolk Police referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct regarding the incident.

Ms Nash's father, Brian Nash, said in a statement: "While nothing will return Clare to us, the emotional burden has been lessened knowing justice has been served.

"She was deeply, deeply loved and will be missed by her family and friends."

Det Insp Matthew Connick described the attack as "vicious, pre-meditated and unprovoked".