Fiancé beat ex-soldier, 26, to death and stabbed her with sword while on bail for ‘threatening her with gun’
A JEALOUS fiancé beat his ex-soldier partner to death and stabbed her with a sword while on bail for “threatening her with a gun”, an inquest has heard.
Amy-Leanne Stringfellow, 26, was hit over the head with a vodka bottle, strangled and stabbed in the neck with a sword by Terrence Papworth, 45, in Doncaster last June.
The couple had been in a relationship since October 2019, and became engaged in January last year.
Doncaster Coroners’ Court heard her family had concerns about changes in Amy-Leanne’s behaviour and Papworth’s treatment of her.
The court heard Papworth cut her off from her family and accused her of cheating on him with her ex.
At the time of her death, Papworth was on bail for assault and threatening to kill Amy-Leanne, the court heard.
Amy-Leanne, a mum-of-one, was found covered in blood with 50 injuries on her body, including 30 to her head and neck.
Pathologist Charles Wilson told the court her injuries were consistent with manual strangulation, asphyxiation and being subject to blunt force trauma.
He said that “any one or a number of combinations” of her injuries could have caused her death.
The court heard Amy-Leanne told her mother she was going to meet a female army friend for the weekend but had actually arranged to meet Papworth.
‘BRANDING’
It was told Papworth “branded” Amy-Leanne with his initials, which were carved into her skin with a bladed object.
He also carved his own initials into his arm, the court heard.
Cops were called the home in Doncaster on June 5 to reports of concerns for a woman’s safety.
On arrival, officers broke the door down and found Amy-Leanne fully clothed and “covered in blood” on a bed upstairs.
Despite the best efforts of medics, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
At around the same time, Papworth rang friends and told them he had killed Amy-Leanne.
The inquest heard immediately after the attack, he went to his mum’s house and told her, ‘I’ve killed her and I’ve watched the life drain from her’.
He then handed himself into police just before midnight on June 5 and admitted to killing her.
He was found dead in his prison cell just days before he was due to go on trial for her murder at Sheffield Crown Court.
Amy-Leanne’s heartbroken family sobbed during the hearing as evidence was read out of her fatal injuries.
The court heard Papworth used a sword to stab Amy-Leanne in her throat, but Mr Wilson said the wound missed her main arteries and would not have resulted in death.
‘BEAUTIFUL AND KIND’
Amy-Leanne, described as “beautiful” and “kind” by distraught relatives, worked as a personal trainer and had served in Afghanistan.
Mrs Fareham said she did not speak much of her time in the army and she believed she suffered from PTSD.
After leaving the army, Amy-Leanne remained an army reservist and worked as a personal trainer. She was a former Miss Great Britain bodybuilder.
Mrs Fareham said Amy-Leanne’s life “was complete” when she gave birth to a daughter to her ex-partner Craig Patterson, who she met in the army.
She said the couple split up and Amy-Leanne entered into a relationship with Papworth shortly after and he showered her with gifts.
Mrs Fareham said: “To be honest, it all seemed too good to be true.
“Gradually, Amy-Leanne seemed to be distancing herself from me, we went from talking on the phone daily for an hour at a time to short, two-minute phone calls.”
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Giving a verdict of unlawful killing, coroner Louise Slater said: “There is only one conclusion I have considered and that is one of unlawful killing on the balance of probability.
“I have to say that even if this court had the threshold of a higher standard of proof, I would have been satisfied with the same conclusion.
“Amy-Leanne was clearly much-loved and cherished by her family and she will never be forgotten.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call The Samaritans for free any time, even on a mobile without credit, on 116123.
HOW YOU CAN GET HELP
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service available. from 10am to noon.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
