Laura Stuart death: Man guilty of ex-girlfriend's murder

A man who stabbed his former partner multiple times with a kitchen knife after she left him has been found guilty of her murder.

Mother-of-two Laura Stuart died after being attacked as she walked home from a night out in Denbigh town centre.

Jason Cooper, 28, of Denbigh, was found guilty of her murder by a jury at Mold Crown Court.

Cooper was also found guilty of stabbing her friend who tried to intervene.

He will be sentenced at a later date.

• Laura Stuart: 'Hunted down' and murdered for leaving

During the trial, the jury heard how Cooper had lain in wait for Ms Stuart as she returned home from the Golden Lion pub on 12 August last year.

He stabbed her and kicked her in the face and stomach, fracturing her nose and cheek bone, before attacking her friend David Roberts who tried to stop the attack.

Ms Stuart who had stab wounds to her back, head and chest, as well as internal bleeding, died in hospital two days later.

The alleged incident happened in Denbigh town centre on 12 August

The jury had heard how Ms Stuart, 33, went to the police just days before the attack to complain about Cooper's behaviour.

A friend told the court how Cooper sent her abusive text messages, including some telling her she should "run" and he was "going to kill her".

He also sent her messages saying he would "erase" her after falsely accusing her of having a relationship with another man, and threatened to post naked photographs of her online.

Read more about the trial:

• Murder accused 'did not remember' knife attack

• Man 'sent murder confession text'

• Jason Cooper reported before stabbing

But Ms Stuart had not wanted to take the matter to court as she feared it would make matters worse and she refused to hand over her phone to police.

Cooper claimed he did not remember the attack and said he had been drinking heavily and had thought about harming himself with the knife.

But the court heard he sent a text to a friend confessing to her murder shortly after the attack.

He also made several admissions to police, saying: "She thought she was going to live her life and leave me in the lurch and she would be as happy as Larry... do as she likes. Not on my watch."

On Thursday, the jury took about an hour to convict Cooper of the murder of Ms Stuart and the wounding with intent of Mr Roberts.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the contact North Wales Police had with Ms Stuart before her death.