Natalie Bennett jailed for life for murder of boyfriend Kasey Anderson

The Liverpool woman who fatally stabbed her boyfriend in the heart has been sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Natalie Bennett, who was last month found unanimously guilty of murdering 24-year-old Kasey Anderson, showed no emotion as the sentencing was passed.

Judge Denis Watson, KC, told the 47-year-old, "No sentence I can pass can restore Kasey's life."

Trial and verdict

During the seven-day trial, the jury heard that she called the dying victim “a little rat” as he lay in the street outside her home desperately calling 999 having been slashed several times with a knife and stabbed twice on March 11. Kasey Anderson died a week before his 25th birthday on March 31 this year.

Bennett, who was captured on ring bell footage from next door trying to stab him in the head, was arrested and claimed to the police that he had arrived injured at her home “like that”.

He was found to have sustained a deep stab wound to his chest, which damaged his left lung and heart. He also had superficial slash wounds to his neck, right shoulder, lower back and left forearm, as well as a “shallow” stab wound to his right lower leg.

A Liverpool Crown Court jury took four hours 42 minutes convict the Ms Bennett, on October 4.

Sentencing

Judge Watson, KC, said that they had had a prolonged argument and the precise details were only known to her and her victim.

He explained: “You picked up a screwdriver which you thrust at him, then a knife which you used to cause slash wounds to his ear, back and left arm and to stab him in the chest and lower left leg. You continued to be aggressive, making a sharp stabbing motion towards him close to his head. You called him ‘a rat’.

“You told the 999 operator about his deep stab wounds, even if you said you didn’t know how he came about his injuries. You mopped the floor and tried to clean up with bleach to conceal the fact you had attacked him inside your home.”

He continued: “Your emotional unstable personality disorder and alcohol and substance misuse are a large part of your own choices to drink and abuse drugs. 

"Although you had some hair pulled out and bruises to your face and head, these are relatively minor injuries. Self-defence was completely rejected as entirely unconvincing.

“I’m sure that you attacked him, that he tried to defend himself. That made you so angry that you picked up the screwdriver, and then the knife.”

Stan Reiz, KC, defending, said that Bennett felt remorse “because of the loss of someone she loved.”

He said that she described the couple’s relationship as “rocky. Others described it as toxic. In a relationship such as that, fuelled by drugs and alcohol, those relationships are often not one sided. There were difficulties but also happy times.

He submitted that what occurred was “spontaneous” and the Crown could not be sure there was an intention to kill.”

Mr Reiz said that the defendant has been diagnosed with a number of mental disorders, including a personality disorder and suspected ADHD.

The 47-year-old mum-of-four showed no emotion during the hearing in the packed courtroom. When she was led to the cells she gave a thumbs up sign to her dad in the public gallery.