Everton woman guilty of murder after stabbing boyfriend in 'drink fuelled rage'

A woman has been found guilty of murder after stabbing her boyfriend in the heart in an "explosive drink-fuelled rage".

Emma Walsh, 31 of Lavan Close, Everton is now facing a potential life sentence after killing Gary Morgan at her home on 10 April this year.

The trial, at Liverpool Crown Court, heard Walsh attacked Gary Morgan, 36, from Prescot, after the couple had gone out for the evening at the Belmont Pub.

John Benson, KC, prosecuting, had told the jury Walsh was a "controlling individual with an explosive temper", particularly after drinking.

Walsh had claimed she stabbed Gary Morgan in self-defence, but the jury heard Mr Morgan had told friends and family she had assaulted him on several occasions before the fatal incident, including stabbing him with a butter knife and hitting him with a rake.

The jury also heard Walsh had stabbed a previous partner.

Mr Benson said during his closing arguments: "She is, we suggest, a controlling individual.

"It is a characteristic coupled with an irrational, suspicious mistrust of her partners and an explosive temper, particularly when in drink - a readiness to use violence with teeth and weapons, including knives.

"Sadly, the reality is there was never going to be a happy ending to this relationship.

"In a drink-fuelled rage, she attacked Gary Morgan with the knife.

"This was nothing other than an attack, when the defendant had no reason to be defending herself from a violent attack by Gary Morgan."

Mr Benson said Walsh "has it in herself to attack people with knives".

He mentioned an incident in which she is said to have stabbed her former partner Ayton Courtney-Stevens, whom he said "nearly suffered the very same fate as Gary Morgan".

Richard Pratt, KC, defending, had argued that Walsh had also been the victim of violence from Mr Morgan and the prosecution had not disproved that she was acting in self defence.

But Mr Benson highlighted that Walsh's story had changed from her first accounts, which included claiming he had been attacked by "some fella in town" and also that he had sustained his fatal injury after falling onto a broken shard of a bluetooth speaker.

Walsh will be sentenced on Monday.