women and girls from the east of england
2018, Auckland, New Zealand
Grace was from Essex, a talented artist, and was in New Zealand as she travelled round the world after her graduation. She was killed on the eve of her 22nd birthday by a 27 year old man she had met on a Tinder date. He claimed at his trial for her murder that she asked him to strangle her. His defence presented, and the UK press repeated, stories of Grace’s internet use and sex life, to support the idea she consented to strangulation. His identity was protected by court order during the trial.
He did not seek medical help for Grace, and after killing her went on a date with another woman. He said to that woman “I heard of this guy who’s partner asked to have rough sex with him involving some sort of strangulation and suffocation but it went wrong and the guy couldn’t revive her and she died. He got done for manslaughter but it was really tough for him to see this woman he loved dying.”
The court also heard some evidence that he had been violent to other women, with one fearing she would die when he suffocated her during sex.
Murder, 17 years
2018, Cambridgeshire
Sally “a much-loved daughter and sister” and “a bright, bubbly girl, who was full of laughter and fun” is killed by her partner, Robert Simpson-Scott, 44. He admitted her manslaughter and has now been convicted of her murder..
He told attending paramedics and police that Sally had died during “vigorous sex”. The court has heard much detail of Sally’s alleged sex life in the years before her death.
Sally died of her injuries: “a fractured spine, multiple rib fractures and a hypoxic brain injury, meaning she was unable to breathe by herself. She also had extensive bruising around her eyes, neck and arms.”
Her sister described Sally as very vulnerable, and that she had been “conned and controlled by a very evil man for his own gain”. Tragically, Sally’s mum died a few days after her daughter’s death.
Murder, life, min term 18 years
2015, Herts
Katie Locke, 23, was a history teacher, from Essex. Katie was strangled on her first date with Carl Langdell, after meeting him on dating site Plenty of Fish. Carl Langdell sexually assaulted her dead body before dumping her in a bush, in the early hours of Christmas Eve. He had admitted the murder to his mother, saying he had strangled Katie in a sex game which went wrong.
Murder, life, min term 26 years
2013, Cambridgeshire
Virginja was a mum. She had just met Dainotas Doblys, 48, who had responded to her dating ad. They drank together, and booked a hotel room.
Doblys plead not guilty to her rape and murder, and in sentencing the Judge said to him:"You were a florid liar in your dealings with the police, painting a bogus picture of athletic yet entirely consensual prolonged bouts of sexual intercourse".
Doblys was found guilty of two counts of rape - she was "semi-conscious or unconscious and therefore incapable of consent" - and not guilty of murder. Virjinja died of "suffocation in conjunction with severe alcohol intoxication", and had suffered "shocking wounds to the intimate parts of her body.". She was found in a pool of blood on the floor of the hotel room.
Doblys also received two 11-year sentences for the two counts of rape.
Manslaughter, Extended Sentence, 16 years, with 4 years on licence
2007, Ipswich
Nicola was a distribution manager for a hospice. Two men claim Nicola had asked to be strangled to heighten her pleasure and that she died, in a car, in a sex game gone wrong. Nicola had just met John McCarry, 37, in a pub.
Murder, life for both
2006, Ipswich
Paula was mum to 3 children. She had spiralled into prostitution and homelessness after becoming addicted to crack cocaine and heroin. She was murdered by Steve Wright, 49, who claimed that Paula had died in a masochistic sex game. The prosecution were able to present a pathologist whose evidence discredited this claim. Steve Wright was sentenced for the murder of 5 women, including Paula, all of whom were prostitutes, and he may have killed more women.
Murder, life, whole life term
1972, Norfolk
Carole, described as “charming and loveable” had an 8-year old daughter. Carole was killed by her partner, Peter Drinkwater, 38.
He injected her with 5 anaesthetics as a part of - he claimed - “erotic practices” “at her request”, because of the pain caused by “these practices”, which he photographed. The judge was convinced he took the staged pornographic photos as she lay dying.
Her death was reported as “perverted sex”, “sexplay killing”, that she had died during “sexual malpractices”. Drinkwater told the court of her “perverted sexual desires”. At first he claimed she had killed herself.
Drinkwater had three previous convictions for dangerous driving, including one where he had killed a man; his previous wife had divorced him due to “cruelty” including regular violent assaults; he punched a man who was driving, causing a serious crash. Carole’s parents said when she met Drinkwater “everything started to go wrong, we tried to stop her seeing him but she seemed to be in his power”.
Carole had been planning to leave him. He was cleared of murder.
Manslaughter, 12 years