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| Spalding murders: Teenage girl and boyfriend become youngest couple ever convicted of murder in Britain | Spalding murders: Teenage girl and boyfriend become youngest couple ever convicted of murder in Britain |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 15-year-old girl has been found guilty of murdering a mother and daughter in Spalding, Lincolnshire. | A 15-year-old girl has been found guilty of murdering a mother and daughter in Spalding, Lincolnshire. |
| The teenager, who was 14 years old at the time, cannot be named. She was found guilty after her 15-year-old boyfriend admitted killing the two women at the beginning of the trial. | |
| The pair are the youngest couple ever convicted of murder in Britain. | The pair are the youngest couple ever convicted of murder in Britain. |
| Elizabeth Edwards, who was 49 years old, and her 13-year-old daugher Katie were stabbed in the neck as they slept at home in April. | Elizabeth Edwards, who was 49 years old, and her 13-year-old daugher Katie were stabbed in the neck as they slept at home in April. |
| The prosecution had alleged during the trial that although the girl did not physically take part in the killings, she was “as guilty of murder” as the boy was. | The prosecution had alleged during the trial that although the girl did not physically take part in the killings, she was “as guilty of murder” as the boy was. |
| A jury of seven men and five women at Nottingham Crown Court took just two hours and thirty minutes to reach the verdicts. | |
| The girl had denied murdering the victims on the grounds of diminished responsibility. A psychiatrist for the defence had said she was suffering from a mental disorder. | The girl had denied murdering the victims on the grounds of diminished responsibility. A psychiatrist for the defence had said she was suffering from a mental disorder. |
| But the Crown argued she was not mentally ill at the time of the crime. Forensic psychiatrist Philip Joseph said that the girl was simply in a state of emotional turmoil. | |
| Mr Josph told the court a Bonnie and Clyde-type dynamic motivated the teenagers to carry out the killings. | |
| Ms Edwards was stabbed eight times by the boy, including twice in the neck. One of the cuts almost completely severed her windpipe. He then checked for a pulse to see if she was dead. | Ms Edwards was stabbed eight times by the boy, including twice in the neck. One of the cuts almost completely severed her windpipe. He then checked for a pulse to see if she was dead. |
| The 15-year-old girl said she could hear the Ms Edwards "struggling and gurgling" as she was attacked. | The 15-year-old girl said she could hear the Ms Edwards "struggling and gurgling" as she was attacked. |
| Katie was stabbed twice in the throat before she was smothered. | Katie was stabbed twice in the throat before she was smothered. |
| After the killings the couple took a bath, had sex and watched four Twilight films, although the court heard that the pair had planned to take their own lives. | |
| The girl told officers during a police interview she had "felt like murdering for quite a while" and said "it just sort of happened". | The girl told officers during a police interview she had "felt like murdering for quite a while" and said "it just sort of happened". |
| She also said she and her boyfriend had planned the killings four days before and that following the murders she "felt fine". | |
| Both teenagers face indefinite detention at Her Majesty's pleasure – the juvenile equivalent of an adult life term. They will be sentenced at a later date. |