CHRISTOPHER HEMMING

A man responsible for the brutal stabbing of his former partner in Redditch last year has been sentenced to a 15-year prison term.

Christopher Hemming, a resident of Other Road in Redditch, initially pleaded not guilty to the murder of 44-year-old Cheryl Mckenna during the first day of his trial at Worcester Crown Court.

However, halfway through the proceedings on Friday (18 July), he changed his plea to guilty.

The court heard that Hemming, aged 47, carried out the attack on Cheryl on the morning of Monday, 11 November 2024, at their shared home on Other Road, following the end of their relationship.

The couple had been together since 2010 but separated earlier in 2024.

On the day of the incident, Hemming found out Cheryl was involved with someone new, and he responded by stabbing her multiple times in their bedroom.

After the assault, he used Cheryl’s phone to contact a friend, stating, “I wish the camera worked on this phone so I could show you what I’ve done,” before calling emergency services.

When he spoke to the operator, he calmly said, “I’ve killed my ex-partner.” Emergency responders arrived but were unable to save Cheryl, who was pronounced dead at the scene due to the severity of her injuries.

Hemming was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder, and charges were later brought against him.

Although he initially admitted to police that he had killed Cheryl, he later entered a plea of not guilty to murder in court and claimed manslaughter instead.

Nonetheless, on the fifth day of the trial, he changed his plea back to guilty of murder.

Today (Monday, 21 July), Hemming was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 15 years and 117 days.

Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Lougher commented, “We support the sentence handed down today, as Hemming is a highly dangerous and manipulative individual who showed no remorse for his actions.

The attack appeared to be premeditated, driven by his inability to accept their breakup and her happiness with someone else—an act of pure evil.

Despite admitting to the killing when calling police, he later denied it in court.” He added, “Our thoughts are with Cheryl’s family, who lost a mother, daughter, sister, and aunt at his hands.

Their grief is profound, and I hope today’s sentence provides some measure of closure.”