Woman guilty of killing ex-boyfriend seven years ago

Nicola Coleman was convicted of the manslaughter of Mark Cannon at Stafford Crown Court yesterday. The jury took around four hours to decide her fate.

Using a kitchen knife she had bought just days before, Coleman slashed Mr Cannon more than 20 times, inflicting 13 injuries to his face and a fatal blow to the chest penetrating 12cm deep.

Coleman remained emotionless throughout the hearing but turned to wave to the public gallery as she was led down to the cells and whispered the words 'I love you'.

The 42-year-old has always denied intentionally killing her ex-boyfriend and claimed he attacked her with the knife first at her flat in Burwaye Close, Lichfield, on September 29, 2008.

She alleged Mr Cannon, 44, was jealous of her new relationship with a neighbour and had threatened to kill both of them.

But prosecutor Miss Rachel Brand QC dismissed the argument throughout and told the jury Coleman possibly planned the attack because she bought the knife that week and invited Mr Cannon around on the day, texting that she 'missed him' even though they were not together.

She concluded that the subsequent injuries to Mr Cannon were unlawful and too excessive to be classed as self defence.

In her closing statement Miss Brand said: "She attacked him plain and simple. Even if you think this might have started with the knife in his hand, with 20 separate motions of this knife, that force could not possibly be described as reasonable."

Neighbours giving evidence during the trial said following the attack, Mr Cannon staggered out of the flat covered in blood holding the knife before dumping it in a dustbin and collapsing in the street.

He was taken to hospital but pronounced dead at 7.38pm the same day.

Yesterday, His Honour Judge Simon Tonking told the court that in December 2010 a different jury concluded that Coleman had killed Mr Cannon but due to her mental health issues she was deemed unfit to stand trial and was given a hospital order.

Psychiatrists diagnosed the defendant with schizophrenia and declared at the time of the attack she had an 'abnormality of the mind' because she thought she was pregnant despite comprehensive tests disproving it. Coleman also suffered hallucinations and thought someone was stalking her, the court heard.

On Monday, Judge Tonking ruled that the woman had diminished responsibility and told the jury to rule out an original charge of murder and consider the case under a new count of manslaughter.

Following yesterday's verdict Mr John Butterfield QC, defending, expressed his intention to apply for another hospital order.

Coleman will be sentenced tomorrow.