Liverpool woman gives thumbs up after being handed life sentence for murder

A woman has been handed a life sentence for the murder of her boyfriend.

In October, 47-year-old Natalie Bennett was found guilty of murdering her boyfriend, Kasey Anderson, a week before his 25th birthday at their home in Croxteth, Liverpool.

Bennett plunged a knife into his heart before attempting to stab him in the head as he lay gravely injured in the neighbour's driveway and pleading for help. Minutes later, Kasey told a 999 call handler he was ''dying".Bennett claimed to police that he had arrived at her home on Carr Lane East "like that".

On 10 November, Bennett returned to Liverpool Crown Court and showed no reaction when Judge Denis Watson KC handed her a life sentence.

The judge said: ""No sentence I can pass can restore Kasey’s life. His friends and family will always mourn his death - your actions have caused the waste of a human life."

As she left the court Bennett gave a thumbs up to her father, who was in the public gallery.

The judge highlighted a history of abusive behaviour from Bennett towards Kasey.

He said: "His family saw him with injuries and black eyes on many occasions. His family were convinced, correctly in my view, that you were responsible."I am sure that you were violent to him on a regular basis. Your influence over him was substantial. He was besotted with you. He always forgave you."

Judge Watson said this behaviour is what led to the circumstances of Kasey's death.

He said: "You and he had a prolonged argument. The precise details will only be known to him and you."You picked up a screwdriver which you thrust at him, then a knife which you used to cause slash wounds to his ear, back and left arm and to stab him in the chest and lower left leg.

"You continued to be aggressive, making a sharp stabbing motion towards him close to his head - you called him a rat.

"This was a situation in which you grossly overreacted during the course of an argument. Self-defence was completely rejected as entirely unconvincing."I’m sure that you attacked him."

During the trial, Richard Pratt KC told a jury of four men and eight women that Bennett's next door neighbours "heard raised voices" coming from the address at around 5.30pm on Saturday, 11 March.

The neighbours found Kasey Anderson "banging and kicking at their door" roughly 45 minutes later.

The 24-year-old was apparently "seeking help", although the occupants were described as being "frightened by the disturbance" and instead called the police.

Sitting on the doorstep, Kasey called 999 and "repeatedly told the operator he was dying" but did not know who had stabbed him.

The operator was unable to understand Kasey, as the severity of his wounds caused him to vomit. At this point, Kasey passed the phone to Natalie Bennett.

Bennett told the operator that Kasey had "stab wounds all over him" which she believed were "a bit deep".

She claimed that she did not know who had stabbed him, saying: "He's come in like that."

When Merseyside Police officers arrived, she repeated the claim.

He was later found to have suffered superficial slash wounds to his neck, right shoulder, lower back and left forearm, as well as a "shallow" stab wound to his right lower leg.

While none of these injuries were fatal, Kasey had also sustained a "deep stab wound" to his chest, which damaged his left lung and heart.

He was taken to Aintree Hospital and "underwent what was hoped to be life changing surgery". but died 20 days later on 31 March, just one week before his 25th birthday.

Ring doorbell footage from a neighbour's house contradicted Bennett's claim that he had come to her house already wounded.

The footage showed Bennett holding a knife to Kasey's head, and prosecutors said she was "using it either to strike Kasey Anderson in the head or at the very least hold it close to his head".

Crime scene investigators later discovered a clump of her hair on the floor of the house, which appeared to have been "forcibly removed" from her head.

A "number of sharp implements" were meanwhile found in the kitchen sink, "having apparently been soaked in water at least" and with no blood found upon them while the address was said to have "smelled strongly of cleaning fluids".

Bennett claimed during her trial that she had stabbed Mr Anderson in-self defence once after he had attacked her.

She told the jury from the stand: "He’s kicked me and I’ve flew into there, into the kitchen, and I’ve peed myself."The court was told that she was left "on the floor, by the sink" before she "grabbed the knife off the side".

Bennett described how she "struck out" with the weapon "because she was scared, scared of Kasey" and "what he was going to do".

She stated that had aimed a blow with the blade "just once", after which Mr Anderson was "just shouting his mouth off" and they "ended up outside for some reason".

Her defence counsel Stanley Reiz KC asked: "What were you intending to do?"

Bennett replied: "Not hurt him like that anyway, no chance. Not to do that."I loved him. I still do."I was scared. I wouldn’t hurt him, no chance."I still love him. Not one day goes past where I’m not hurting inside thinking of him."

During her sentencing, her defence outlined Bennett's "remorse because of the loss of someone she loved".

He added: "What happened was an argument fuelled by substances, which resulted in the tragic circumstances in this case. There are powerful mitigating circumstances."The crown cannot be sure there was an intent to kill, and the crown accept that there was a lack of premeditation. We submit that what occurred was spontaneous."Mr Reiz also described his client as an "alcoholic", and said she had been diagnosed with conditions including a personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

He said: "She was drinking every day to excess."There is no doubt that affected her behaviour. Kasey Anderson and Ms Bennett would often get on when they were sober, but as they went on to take drink and drugs it escalated. On this occasion, it led to tragic circumstances."She has lived a chaotic lifestyle, but this is a woman who has four children - two of whom are very young. Her incarceration will no doubt be felt by them."Ms Bennett recognises that the way she behaved after Kasey Anderson was injured at her hands was disgraceful. She is deeply ashamed at how she behaved."There is little doubt she was under the influence of alcohol. This was a man she loved."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To know...