Devon woman jailed for attack on 'best friend' later found dead

A Devon woman was beaten by her "best friend" before she died at a house in Devon, a court has been told.

Cheyenne Loder, 32, from Gorwell Road, Barnstaple admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm on 38-year-old Hayley Adams in November 2023.

She was sentenced to two and a half years in prison during a hearing at Exeter Crown Court on Friday 19 April.

Hayley Adams was found unresponsive at a property in Barnstaple on 4 November last year and later died at the scene.

Devon and Cornwall Police were called to a report of a woman in cardiac arrest at a property on Gorwell Road.

Officers and paramedics found Ms Adams unresponsive with injuries to her face and head.

The court heard Ms Adams and Loder had taken a mixture of crack cocaine, amphetamines and alcohol over a period of three days.

When first interviewed, Loder said that she did not know what had happened.

In a later statement, Loder said she had known Ms Adams for around eight or nine years and that they had become best friends.

Loder said: “There was no one closer to me. I loved her and would never knowingly harm her.”

However, she would not answer any questions around the circumstances around how Ms Adams had sustained her injuries.

A forensic post-mortem examination concluded that although it was likely the assault had played a role in Ms Adams’ death, it was not possible to exclude the possibility that death would have occurred due to the combined effects of cocaine use and an underlying medical condition in the absence of an assault.

This saw Loder charged with grievous bodily harm, which she pleaded guilty to.

Judge Adkin said Ms Adams had been subjected to a "prolonged and persistent assault" and that the only explanation for the ferocity of the violence were the drugs and alcohol consumed by Loder.

Hayley’s family paid tribute to her, saying she was "the life and soul" of the party and "lit up any room".

"She had a way of making everyone feel like the centre of the world and was so excited to run into people she knew," they said.

“She came into her own when her children were born; she was so proud to be their mummy. As a family, our world fell apart when we received the shocking news that Hayley had passed away.

“We have all, as a family, had sleepless nights and have worked our way through every emotion: anger, shock, heartbreak, sorrow and confusion.

“Hayley will never see her children grow, get married and have children of their own. More importantly, her three beautiful children will never have their mummy to share in their successes or support them when they need her.

“Towards the end of her life, it was clear that Hayley had some struggles, but she was many things: a mum, a beloved daughter, a fun friend, and a disco queen. We will miss her and think of her every day of our lives."