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Cannock woman guilty of Christmas Day murder of ex-partner | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Kirsty Carless was found guilty of murder after stabbing her ex-partner in the heart | |
A woman has been found guilty of murder after stabbing her ex-partner to death on Christmas Day. | A woman has been found guilty of murder after stabbing her ex-partner to death on Christmas Day. |
Kirsty Carless, of Haling Way in Cannock, Staffordshire, killed 31-year-old Louis Price at his parents' Norton Canes home in the early hours of 25 December in an attack "motivated by anger and jealousy". | |
It came after Carless, 33, was sent a screenshot of Mr Price's profile on the dating app Tinder after a night of drinking at a pub, Stafford Crown Court heard. | It came after Carless, 33, was sent a screenshot of Mr Price's profile on the dating app Tinder after a night of drinking at a pub, Stafford Crown Court heard. |
After about a day of deliberation, a jury of seven men and five women unanimously found her guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Wednesday. | After about a day of deliberation, a jury of seven men and five women unanimously found her guilty of murder and possession of an offensive weapon on Wednesday. |
The trial was told Carless had been at the pub drinking double vodkas and cokes with a male friend on Christmas Eve. | The trial was told Carless had been at the pub drinking double vodkas and cokes with a male friend on Christmas Eve. |
She had sex with the man three times at his home before a female friend sent her a screenshot of Mr Price's Tinder profile, at about 01:30 GMT on Christmas Day, which the court heard made her angry. | She had sex with the man three times at his home before a female friend sent her a screenshot of Mr Price's Tinder profile, at about 01:30 GMT on Christmas Day, which the court heard made her angry. |
Louis Price, 31, was stabbed to death by Carless on Christmas Day | |
Carless took a taxi back to her house where she picked up a kitchen knife before getting another taxi to Mr Price's parents' home in Elm Road, Norton Canes - arriving at about 03:00 GMT. | |
CCTV footage showed her running up the front path, the court heard, and she was seen "stalking" him around the garden. | |
He was later found with a single stab wound to the chest on the conservatory floor, the jury was told. | |
Before the murder, Carless called Mr Price 45 times between 02:15 to 02:44 GMT while she waited for her taxi. | |
The taxi driver, who waited for her at Mr Price's address, reported he heard a "very loud and prolonged scream". | |
She got back in the vehicle less than two minutes after arriving and was said to be "anxious and sweating". | |
Carless demanded the driver take her back to her parent's home where she admitted what she had done and the police were called. | |
CCTV footage showed Kirsty Carless stalking Louis Price around the garden | |
In her evidence, Carless said she had no recollection of stabbing him and "was not a violent person". | |
She said she picked up the knife because she intended to destroy a caravan he was staying in in his parents' back garden and had "panicked" after she stabbed him. | |
Carless was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a majority of 11 to one, over an attack in November 2024. | Carless was also found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm by a majority of 11 to one, over an attack in November 2024. |
She was cleared of intentional strangulation in relation to the same incident. | She was cleared of intentional strangulation in relation to the same incident. |
Judge Mr Justice Choudhury said Carless would be sentenced on Thursday. | |
Carless was arrested after she fled to her parent's home in a taxi | |
Following the verdict, Mr Price's family said their lives have "changed forever" and their world would never be the same. | |
"We lost our son, brother, father, uncle, best friend and fishing buddy forever," they said. | |
"Our hearts ache just waiting every day to wake up from a nightmare. | |
"But we never will because this is our reality. A reality where Louis was murdered by the woman who he loved." | |
They said the trauma caused by Carless would never leave them and it would haunt them for the rest of their lives. | |
"Louis was the beating heart of this family. He was funny, vibrant and kind-hearted, and with losing him all of our hearts have a little piece missing," they added. | |
Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. | Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. |
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