Daughter of Scunthorpe murder victim Sophie Cartledge confronts killer Andrew Grimes

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Sophie Cartledge and Andrew Grimes Credit: Facebook

A teenager who found the body of her murdered mother at their home has told her killer: "I hope you are haunted."

Andrew Grimes is facing life imprisonment for raping and killing Sophie Cartledge in June last year.

The ex-soldier raped and strangled the 39-year-old nursery nurse while her two children were asleep in the same house.

Grimes had been wandering around drunk on the evening of 17 June before he was taken back to his then-partner's home on Baldwin Avenue, Bottesford, near Scunthorpe. Ms Cartledge was discovered by her daughter the following morning.

In a harrowing victim statement read out at Hull Crown Court, she told Grimes: "I hope you are haunted by it. We thought you loved my mum."

The teenager said she was having to come to terms with her mum's last hours on earth being "with the very worst of humanity".

Grimes raped and strangled Sophie Cartlidge at her home while her children were asleep

"My mum is gone and I am broken," she said. "She was my best friend. The feeling of loss is so great it is visceral. With the sorrow comes waves of panic of never being able to see her again.

"My mum died in horrendous circumstances. I'm tormented at what she endured. It's torture to think about it.

Sophie Cartledge worked as a nursery nurse Credit: Facebook

"At the time of my mum's death, both my brother and I were home sleeping...my mum was dying and I was in the other room. I believe that night that neither [my brother] nor I heard anything for a reason. I believe my mum kept quiet to save the lives of her children."

Ms Cartledge's family paid tribute to her describing her as "clever", "funny" and "caring", whose future "stolen" in her own home.

The court was told that Grimes had spent up to 10 years in the Army, and suffered with his mental health as well as the loss of his daughter.

Christopher Tehrani QC, mitigating, said: "He has come to terms a long time ago with what he did." He added his client knew there were no words to express "how sorry he is for the pain and sorrow he has caused to them, individually and collectively".

Grimes pleaded guilty on 14 October last year to murder and two counts of rape.

Judge John Thackray adjourned sentencing until Thursday, 30 June.


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