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Leanne Meecham death: Stepfather guilty of murder | Leanne Meecham death: Stepfather guilty of murder |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A man has been found guilty of the "violent and vicious" murder of his stepdaughter, who was also his former lover. | A man has been found guilty of the "violent and vicious" murder of his stepdaughter, who was also his former lover. |
Leanne Meecham, 26, was stabbed at her house in Westcliff-on-Sea, in Essex, in February. She later died in hospital. | Leanne Meecham, 26, was stabbed at her house in Westcliff-on-Sea, in Essex, in February. She later died in hospital. |
Her stepfather and former partner Simon Meecham, 43, was found guilty by a jury at Chelmsford Crown Court. | |
Judge Charles Gratwicke told him to prepare himself "for a substantial term of imprisonment". | |
He will be sentenced at a later date. | |
'Unprovoked attack' | |
During the trial, Meecham, from Rosewood Lane in Shoeburyness, told the jury he injured Miss Meecham by mistake, not realising he was holding a knife. | During the trial, Meecham, from Rosewood Lane in Shoeburyness, told the jury he injured Miss Meecham by mistake, not realising he was holding a knife. |
But Essex Police described the stabbing on 13 February as "a determined, focussed and wholly unprovoked attack" on a "defenceless" victim. | |
Miss Meecham died in hospital in London on 20 February. | |
A post-mortem examination found she suffered brain damage, caused by a lack of oxygen, after she was stabbed in the windpipe. | A post-mortem examination found she suffered brain damage, caused by a lack of oxygen, after she was stabbed in the windpipe. |
The court heard Meecham, who was previously married to Miss Meecham's mother Jane, had a serious alcohol problem. | |
Police had been called to disturbances at the house on Park Street on numerous occasions. | Police had been called to disturbances at the house on Park Street on numerous occasions. |
In January, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to common assault, leading to him and Miss Meecham splitting up. | In January, he was arrested and pleaded guilty to common assault, leading to him and Miss Meecham splitting up. |
'Jealousy and anger' | |
During the murder trial, he denied being controlling and threatening to kill his stepdaughter when she started a new relationship. | |
The prosecution said he was "motivated by jealousy and anger". | |
Det Chief Insp Mark Hall said Meecham "stabbed himself a number of times in an attempt to make it look like he was the victim" after leaving Miss Meecham's house. | |
"He later falsely claimed these injuries had been caused by Leanne, and then later claimed he had stabbed her accidently. | |
"The jury in this case have seen through those lies," he said. | |
Speaking after the trial, Miss Meecham's family said: "The past six months have been especially hard for us as we struggle to come to terms with how Leanne was taken from us. | |
"Despite the conviction of her killer, his term of imprisonment will never be sufficient punishment". | |
A domestic homicide review and an internal police investigation into the case, supervised by the Independent Police Complaints Commission, are now under way. |