2016: NEWENT WOMAN WHO STABBED HER PARTNER TO DEATH AFTER RAPE FEAR IS JAILED FOR SEVEN YEARS
A 51 year old woman who stabbed her abusive partner to death because she feared he was about to rape her has been jailed for seven years 3 months.Joanne Williams, of Meek Road, Newent, plunged a knife into 43 year old Marc Hastings' heart as he lay naked in her bed demanding she take off her clothes, Gloucester crown court was told.
The pair were together in her home that night even though two months earlier she had obtained a non-molestation order to keep Mr Hastings away from her.
Despite the order and support from domestic abuse workers she had continued to see him.
Ironically, police had called at her home shortly before the killing as part of a search for a missing person.
But according to Williams, Mr Hastings put his hand over her mouth and would not let her go to the door.
After inflicting the fatal blow on Mr Hastings soon after the police officer left, Williams rang 999 and told an operator "I've just killed someone.
I stabbed him.
I made sure it was in the heart." Later she told an officer "It was him or me." A domestic homicide review has now been launched by the police and all agencies involved with Williams and Mr Hastings before the tragedy.
Det Supt Steve Porter of Gloucestershire police said "We shall try to establish what if anything could have been done by any agency to have stopped this death from happening." Mr Hastings' family issued a statement describing him as a 'loveable rogue' who did not deserve to die "He lived for the moment with a happy-go-lucky nature," said his mother's cousin, Ruth Whittaker.
"He was very popular, as hundreds attended his funeral, and was a well-respected footballer.
Football was his life.
"Marc worshipped his mother and had a brother and sister he adored.
"There was another side to Marc that has not been touched upon within the legal process.
We feel to a certain extent Marc has been a victim twice - first when he was killed and the second how he was portrayed during today's proceedings.
"As a family, we fully understand mental health and domestic abuse and we empathise with those who have suffered from them.
However, taking the life of another is not justifiable.
"Men can also be victims of domestic abuse but don't speak up about it.
There are two sides to a relationship.
Whatever sentence given will never be enough for taking the life of our much loved son, brother and nephew.
There are no winners in this case.
Nothing good ever comes from a toxic relationship.
Prosecutor Christopher Quinlan QC told the court paramedics and a doctor raced to Williams' home and fought to save Mr Hastings.
They cut open his chest and massaged his heart between the third and fourth ribs but to no avail.
After being arrested Williams told police "I am gutted with myself.
But I had been beaten for four years.
Now I'm going to end up being punished for the rest of my life." Williams, wearing black trousers with a pink floral-patterned knitted hoodie, white blouse and maroon tee shirt, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Hastings on August 12, 2015 but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.
The prosecution accepted her plea after reports from two psychiatrists, Dr Tim Amos and Dr John Sandford, said she suffered 'an abnormality of mental function which would have a substantial effect on her ability to exercise self control.' Mr Quinlan said the doctors found her to be a 'traumatised and damaged woman with a long standing history of emotional and behavioural difficulties.' She also had long term alcohol and drug misuse issues dating back as far as 1976, he said.
After her arrest she told police she had been in a relationship with Mr Hastings, of Berry Hill, Coleford, for about four years.
But they had spent much of the 12 months before the killing apart.
"She told the police he had previously assaulted and raped her," said Mr Quinlan.
She had been appointed domestic abuse advisers and there had been multi agency risk assessments, he said.
Williams had attended hospital in Feb and Nov 2012 and also in January last year saying she had been assaulted, Mr Quinlan told the court.
She had made complaints of assault every year from 2012 to last year.
On June 25, 2014 Mr Hastings went to hospital with a 2cm knife wound to the stomach but did not blame her and ultimately claimed he had done it himself.
"In Nov 2014 she made a complaint to the police that Mr Hastings had attempted oral rape on her," said Mr Quinlan.
"He denied it.
Both had been heavily intoxicated at the time and she had no injuries.
Although he was arrested on several occasions he was never prosecuted for any offence.
On more than one occasion she declined to support the police.
"On June 7 2015 he was arrested for allegedly grabbing her by the throat.
She was also arrested after a witness said she had caused damage by throwing a flower pot through a window at her home, "On June 11 panic alarms were installed in her home but they were deactivated 19 days later because the phone bill had not been paid.
"On June 17 she obtained a non molestation order against him.
It prevented him making contact with her till further notice.
Despite that, she continued to see him." The couple met up in Gloucester on Aug 6 and travelled back to her home.
He stayed until the early hours - when she called the police and told them he was there.
Police arrived to find him asleep in her bed.
They woke him and took him home.
Three days later a domestic violence support worker saw Williams and she seemed 'happy and positive.' Mr Quinlan said on the afternoon of Aug 12, the day of the stabbing, Williams and Mr Hastings were at her home drinking lager together.
Neighbours saw her at 6.20pm and she seemed 'in good spirits.' She went shopping for more lager and seemed 'tipsy.' She then went to the Red Lion pub in Newent but was refused a second drink because she appeared drunk.
At 9.30pm that night neighbours heard a noise outside and saw both Williams and Mr Hastings moving dustbins.
At 10.40pm a policeman went to the house on a missing persons enquiry but got no answer at the door.
Minutes later Williams rang 999 to say she had stabbed Mr Hastings.
She told an operator "I've just killed Marc Hastings.
Come and arrest me.
He's dead in my bedroom.
I stabbed him in the heart.
There's blood everywhere.
I made sure it was in the heart.
He tried to get me into bed.
I got into bed and I stabbed him and I could see he was dead.
"She said she would at least get some peace now," said Mr Quinlan.
He said when police arrived at the house Williams let them in saying "He's dead - knifed him in the chest." An officer found Mr Hastings lying naked on his back on the bedroom floor with his arms at his sides.
There was a small kitchen knife next to him.
The battle began to resuscitate him but he was pronounced dead at 11.50pm.
As she was taken away Williams said "It was him or me.
I wasn't going to let him rape me again.
He raped me and beat me and put me in hospital.
I was not going to let him do that again." During interview she described sex with Hastings as "not pleasant." On that night, she said, she had decided 'I ain't being raped again.' She added: "She told police she had 'tried running away' from Hastings and had moved home three times to try to escape him." Mr Hastings' adoptive mother, Wendy Prior, told the court she and her other two children were devastated by his death.
She described him as a 'fun loving person' who was always joking and saw the funny side of everything.
He had been an epileptic as a result of a head injury.
She supported him many times and his death had left 'a huge void in my life.' She said: "Marc was forcefully and brutally taken from me.
I will never again see that cheeky smile and never be able to give him a hug.
His death and the pain and horror will endure with me and my two remaining children for the rest of our lives."
