THERE were tears in court as a Burnham-on-Sea man who stabbed his former partner 39 times was found guilty of murder.
Owen Pellow, 43, of Berrow Road, Burnham-on-Sea pleaded, not guilty to the murder of Lisa Marie Thornton, 36, at his home on November 23 last year.
He was found guilty of murder by a jury at the end of his trial.
Ms Thornton died from multiple stab wounds after she was stabbed 39 times in the chest, neck and back.
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A jury found Pellow guilty in under two hours At Bristol Crown Court today (May 29).
Pellow will be sentenced later on this afternoon.
Lisa-Marie Thornton was found dead at her house on the morning of 23 November 2017.
A post-mortem examination revealed the 36-year-old had died after being stabbed more than 30 times.
Pellow had consistently claimed the mother-of-three’s injuries were self-inflicted, but a jury today determined he had murdered her.
In their victim impact statements, Lisa-Marie’s three daughters spoke of being robbed of a future with their mother.
One said: “I won’t have my mum to help prepare me for prom, she won’t be able to see me at my wedding and her grandchildren won’t ever know who she was.”
They said they were “heartbroken” and expressed the “unbearable pain” of losing their mother.
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“I can’t understand how someone could be so callous to take such innocent life wrongly away from them and their family,” the daughter added.
Another said; “My future will never be the same without my mum in it.
“And I will forever be hurt by the loss of my mum. I’m missing a part of me that will never return.”
In her statement, Lisa-Marie’s mother said: “No words can describe the loss of my beautiful daughter Lisa-Marie.
“I'm crying most days and just can't believe she's gone - my heart is broken.”
Senior Investigating Officer Andy Mott said: “This was a shocking crime that Pellow has refused to take responsibility for, even throughout the trial.
“The jury heard how he brutally attacked Lisa-Marie Thornton, stabbing her more than 30 times in a frenzied assault.
“Our sympathies are with Lisa-Marie’s family as they continue to come to terms with their loss and I hope this conviction can provide some semblance of closure for them.
“I’d also like to recognise the efforts of the officers who were first on the scene of this distressing incident and carried out first aid on Lisa-Marie in very difficult and demanding circumstances.”
Pellow is due to be sentenced this afternoon (May 29) at Bristol Crown Court.
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