Wirral man jailed for 19 years for murder of partner

A Wirral man who murdered his partner in their home has today, Friday 12 November, been jailed for life to serve a minimum of 19 years.

Kevin Ashton was found guilty last month of the murder of 54-year-old Helen Joy, whose body was found by emergency services when they were called to the couple’s home in Twickenham Drive on 1 February this year.

A post mortem revealed the mum-of-three died of multiple injuries with terminal hypothermia.

Ashton, 45, who denied her murder, was jailed today at Liverpool Crown Court.

Helen Joy's family issued the following statement after the sentencing: “We are glad that we have got justice for our mum and he got what he deserved. We have finally got some closure but it will not bring our mum back. We just wish she was here today."

Head of the Homicide Support Unit Dave Brunskill said: “Helen suffered brutal and sustained assaults at the hands of Kevin Ashton in the lead up to her death and I know her family have been left devastated not only by the loss of Helen but the manner in which she died.

“Ashton will now serve a substantial prison sentence for his actions and while it won’t ever bring Helen back I hope it gives her family a sense of closure.

“Domestic abuse is a shocking and reprehensible crime and it is never acceptable.

“Merseyside Police has a longstanding commitment to ensuring reports of domestic abuse are thoroughly investigated and offenders prosecuted. We are also committed to giving wraparound support to all survivors.

“We know that this is not an issue that the police can tackle alone which is why we will continue to work with our partners to develop and use all available tools and practices to encourage people to report domestic abuse and offer them assistance when they do.

“We have increased the number of officers in our specialist domestic abuse teams and have also used domestic violence prevention notices as well as the Domestic Violence Disclosure Schemes (DVDS), also known as Clare’s Law which gives someone in a relationship 'the right to ask' for information from various agencies, including the police, about a partner's previous convictions, cautions, reprimands or final warnings for any offence of violence.

“We are also focusing on evidence-led prosecutions which can be used in situations where the victim may decide that they don’t want to press charges.

“I cannot stress how important it is that anyone who finds themselves in a violent or controlling relationship doesn’t stay silent but finds the courage to speak to someone about it. You are not alone and there is a lot of help available, both via Merseyside Police and our partner organisations, so please take that first step.

“I would also encourage neighbours and friends of those that are suffering from domestic abuse to speak up. Trust your instincts - if something you’ve seen or heard doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. By knowing the signs of domestic abuse, you could help a friend, colleague or family member. Domestic abuse isn’t just physical – it can be emotional, physical, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour.”

Anyone with information on domestic abuse can contact @MerPolCC, 101 or @CrimestoppersUK, anonymously on 0800 555 111

If someone is in immediate danger they should dial 999 and speak to an operator but we also accept that openly speaking is not always an option.

The Silent Solution is a service which means a vulnerable person can call 999 and alert us, by pressing ’55.’ This will indicate that help is needed and we will respond.