LANCASHIRE MAN GETS LIFE FOR TRAGIC STABBING OF EX-GIRLFRIEND
A man identified as Alan Entwistle was sentenced for a brutal murder involving stabbing his ex-girlfriend, Claire Atkinson, to death in Lancashire.The court heard that Entwistle, aged 52, had planned her murder over several weeks.
He was remanded in custody but was later allowed bail under strict conditions for his trial.
Entwistle stalked Claire on the day of her death, coaxed her into his car, and then stabbed her 13 times in the heart and chest while she was in the passenger seat.
The judge labeled him a "manipulative man" and sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum of 20 years.
It was revealed he had previously voiced threats to kill her and had been charged with kidnapping her just a month before the murder.
The court detailed that he had produced a large stainless steel knife and threatened her with it, saying, 'that's what you are going to get.' During sentencing, he showed no remorse but expressed a brief 'sorry' to the gallery.
The court described the murder as "chilling" and committed "mercilessly for his own selfish reasons." Claire Atkinson's family released a statement expressing devastation over her loss, emphasizing her cheerful personality and her love for her two young sons, Harvey and Euan.
The case highlighted his previous violent behavior, possessiveness, and bullying tendencies, with the court acknowledging the tragic impact on her children and family.
