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Jilted drug dealer sentenced to life for killing woman with hammer and knife Drug dealer sentenced to life for killing woman with hammer and knife
(35 minutes later)
A violent drug dealer who evaded deportation for years before he launched a hammer and knife attack on a young woman in her own home could spend the rest of his life behind bars. A violent drug dealer who evaded deportation for years before he launched a hammer and knife attack on a woman in her home could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Lloyd Byfield, 48, pursued a relationship with 26-year-old Leighann Duffy before he armed himself with a claw hammer and a knife and smashed his way her flat in Walthamstow, east London, on 1 September last year.Lloyd Byfield, 48, pursued a relationship with 26-year-old Leighann Duffy before he armed himself with a claw hammer and a knife and smashed his way her flat in Walthamstow, east London, on 1 September last year.
After Byfield pleaded guilty to murder, Judge Nicholas Cooke sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 26.5 years and told him he may never be released. After Byfield pleaded guilty to murder, Judge Nicholas Cooke sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 26.5 years and told him he might never be released.
He told Byfield he must have had a “heart of stone” to have killed Duffy despite the presence of a young girl who was herself attacked when she tried to intervene. He told Byfield he must have had a “heart of stone” to have killed Duffy despite the presence of a child who was attacked when she tried to intervene.
During the Old Bailey hearing, Cooke also expressed his unhappiness at the authorities’ failure to deport Byfield, a Jamaican national, after he attacked another woman with a chisel and was jailed for 30 weeks for burglary in 2005. The murder could have been prevented if he had been send back to Jamaica then, he said. During the Old Bailey hearing, Cooke expressed his unhappiness at the authorities’ failure to deport Byfield, a Jamaican national, after he attacked another woman with a chisel and was jailed for 30 weeks for burglary in 2005. The murder could have been prevented if he had been sent back to Jamaica then, he said.
The court heard Byfield, of no fixed abode, burst into the victim’s living room and stabbed her 14 times before she managed to stagger next door clutching a wound to her neck. She died in hospital two days later.The court heard Byfield, of no fixed abode, burst into the victim’s living room and stabbed her 14 times before she managed to stagger next door clutching a wound to her neck. She died in hospital two days later.
A six-year-old child who witnessed the assault at the flat in Hatherley Road suffered minor injures but did not need hospital treatment. The six-year-old girl who witnessed the assault at the flat suffered minor injures but did not need hospital treatment.
Byfield fled to Hackney but was arrested days later after he stopped a police community support officer in Walthamstow High Street and said he was wanted by the police.Byfield fled to Hackney but was arrested days later after he stopped a police community support officer in Walthamstow High Street and said he was wanted by the police.
He told the officer: “I’ve done it, I’m not going to fight it. When you love someone you are not supposed to hurt them, but love can make you do stupid things. I think the devil came into my head.”He told the officer: “I’ve done it, I’m not going to fight it. When you love someone you are not supposed to hurt them, but love can make you do stupid things. I think the devil came into my head.”
Cooke told Byfield: “That’s not love. Love is caring and cherishing. This was obsessive, possessive brutality, mirroring a wholly wrong attitude to women. This is the pinnacle of domestic violence, a scourge that affects the life of women and children.”Cooke told Byfield: “That’s not love. Love is caring and cherishing. This was obsessive, possessive brutality, mirroring a wholly wrong attitude to women. This is the pinnacle of domestic violence, a scourge that affects the life of women and children.”
The court was told that Byfield had been convicted of cannabis dealing in Jamaica before he came to Britain some time between 1999 and 2005. He was granted leave to remain in the UK after he married a woman in 2002, despite continuing a relationship with his then girlfriend. The court was told that Byfield had been convicted of cannabis-dealing in Jamaica before he came to Britain some time between 1999 and 2005. He was granted leave to remain in the UK after he married a woman in 2002, despite continuing a relationship with his then girlfriend.
He was ordered to be deported in 2007 although that never happened. Cooke told him: “You were to be deported but for reasons that have never been explained to me, that was never actioned and you remained here able to kill an innocent woman.” He was ordered to be deported in 2007 although that never happened. Cooke told him: “You were to be deported but, for reasons that have never been explained to me, that was never actioned and you remained here able to kill an innocent woman.”
In a victim impact statement, Duffy’s mother Ann Kerr described her daughter as a “happy joyous woman”. She said: “The day Lloyd Byfield broke into Leighann’s house and attacked and murdered her completely ripped our family apart and our family will never be the same again.” In a victim impact statement, Duffy’s mother, Ann Kerr, described her daughter as a “happy, joyous woman”. She said: “The day Lloyd Byfield broke into Leighann’s house and attacked and murdered her completely ripped our family apart and our family will never be the same again.”
As an impassive Byfield was sent down, a member of Duffy’s family called out: “Scumbag, I hope you rot in hell.”As an impassive Byfield was sent down, a member of Duffy’s family called out: “Scumbag, I hope you rot in hell.”