Liverpool woman jailed for life for murder of Gary Morgan

A 31-year-old woman has today, Monday 17th October, been jailed for life for the murder of her partner Gary Morgan.

Gary, 36, (below) from the Prescot area, was found with a puncture wound to the side of his body at an address in Lavan Close, Everton, on 10^th April this year.

He was taken to hospital but sadly died a short time later.

Emma Walsh, formerly of Lavan Close, was found guilty on Friday (14th October) of his murder following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court.

She was today sentenced to life, with a minimum of 18 years imprisonment. 

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Drew said: “This is a very tragic case which led to the sad death of a much-loved man.

“The family of Gary Morgan have been left devastated by their loss and have had to endure the ordeal of a court trial as they sought to get justice for Gary’s death.

“I can only hope that the conviction and subsequent sentencing of Emma Walsh can now bring them some comfort.

“Domestic abuse is a complex issue and can take many forms. It can be psychological, financial, sexual, emotional and physical and can affect anyone regardless of sex, ethnicity or religious belief.

“We want to raise awareness of the support that is available to anyone who is or has experienced domestic abuse or has been affected by it so that nobody else has to suffer in silence.

“We have a number of specialist departments within the police to investigate these crimes but it’s important that we all work together to support survivors and collectively work to prevent these crimes occurring in the first place by raising awareness.”

Gary's family have also issued the following statement: "As a family we would like to pass on our sincere thanks to Mr Benson KC for his hard work and his dedication to get justice for Gary.

"We would also like to thank the CPS and the investigation team from Merseyside Police for all their hard work.

"As a family we are extremely grateful for the support and understanding provided by the family liaison officers, Leanne and Louise, who have been our rock.  

"Thank you to family and friends for all of their support and to the witnesses who had to relive their own experiences again.

"No one should suffer from domestic violence.  Men should not be afraid to come forward if they are suffering from domestic violence from their partner, coming forward is not a sign of weakness it is a sign of strength."

There are a number of ways to report:

Call us - If you are in immediate danger, always call 999. If you ring 999 and are not in a safe position to speak to us then cough, or tap, the phone and press 55, when prompted. This will alert the operator that you need assistance and we will provide support.

Online – You can report online domestic abuse to us online Report domestic abuse | Merseyside Police and someone will get back to you, via your specified method, within 24 hours.

All reports are treated seriously, they will be investigated sensitively and we will work with our partners to offer support and keep victims safe.  We understand that every domestic incident is unique and we will do everything we can to ensure perpetrators are brought to justice, so the victims of this terrible and under-reported crime are protected and their needs are put first.

Merseyside Police would also appeal to families and friends to keep an eye out for signs that someone may be a victim of domestic abuse. Sometimes victims are unable to contact the police, which is why it’s so important the people around them who suspect something is going can do it on their behalf.

If you have any non-urgent information on domestic abuse – if you are a victim or believe someone you know is a victim - you can contact direct message @MerPolCC on Twitter, ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook or contact @CrimestoppersUK, anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are concerned about someone you know or live near:

• Ask them if they want to talk, listen to them, and assure them it’s not their fault.
• Let them know you are concerned and encourage them to get help from the support services available – you can offer to contact a service on their behalf.
• If you think someone is in danger, report it immediately to the police.
• Men’s Advice Line www.mensadviceline.org.uk 0808 801 0327 (24 hours)
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VICTIM PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM GARY'S FAMILY

Gary’s death has devastated our whole family and words cannot describe our loss.

Gary was a happy bubbly person who loved life.  He worked hard and was trying his best to build up his business.  He was only 36 years of age and had his whole life ahead of him. We are devastated to lose a caring and fun loving son/brother to Domestic Violence.

Family was important to Gary and he had a close relationship with all of us. 

Every night he would ring me and tell me he loved me.  This is something I will never hear him say to me again.  The thought of this breaks my heart.  I did not think that Sunday 10th April 2022 would be the last time I would ever speak to him.

I never got to finish making memories with Gary, we had so much more to look forward to.  I will never get to see Gary settle down or get married and his two daughters will grow up without a dad.

All I have left is my memories which I will treasure forever and his ashes which we have at home.  I have a necklace which I always wear, I squeeze it to give me some comfort but that is not the same as being able to give him a squeeze in person.

I had to identify my son in the mortuary.  I was not able to hold him or touch him, I had to look at him through a glass.  I have always been there to comfort him but this time I couldn’t.

Two days after Gary was murdered I was diagnosed with cancer.  I had my treatment but my health was not my priority.  My priority was to get justice for Gary and I wanted to be at court everyday as I did not want to let him down.

As his dad I saw the person I had known for 35 years change before my eyes as this is how old he was when he met Emma. The son I knew and loved disappeared, he was a shadow of his former self. Every time there is a knock on the door, I expect Gary to walk in. Every time I see a white van, I think it's Gary but then reality sinks in and I realise that it's not going to be him because he has been taken away from us.

I feel guilty, I took my eye off the ball as Sandra was unwell and I never got to spend as much time with him. If I had, I may have been able to realise how bad things were for him and get him away from her sooner. I miss Gary so much it hurts.

From Paul, my life has gone into darkness, I know I have to carry on, but it will be a struggle.  I have lost my day one and my shadow forever.

From Kevin and John: Gary wasn't just a brother and a son, he was our best friend, our mentor, someone who we could confide in.  We feel like we have lost part of us.

From Stephen: I will miss the fact that I will never hear Gary’s voice again.

From Liam: I am going to miss not being able to pick up the phone and give Gary a call. I still have him in my contacts, he's at the top of my list. I miss going on drives with him, I looked up to Gary, now he’s not here anymore who do I look up to?

Our lives will never be the same again and there will always be part of us missing.  We tried to give Emma the benefit of the doubt when we first met her, that was the biggest mistake we made.  Had we have known about her past we would have done more to get Gary away from her. We did not know just how dangerous she was.

Sitting through the trial and listening to what was really going on in Gary’s life was truly heart breaking.  No one should ever have to listen to that, never mind a parent or sibling.  We felt sick to the stomach hearing that she had stabbed Gary through his heart. 

We will never get over listening to the 999 call she made, knowing that our son and brother was dying in the background.

We should have been celebrating Gary’s birthday on Saturday 15th October as a family, we should have been able to give him his cards and presents but instead we had to celebrate his birthday without him.

Gary was cruelly taken too soon by Emma who has shown no remorse for what she has done.  We do not believe that the tears she has shed have been for Gary, they have been for herself because she had been found out.

Domestic Violence should not be tolerated by anyone, man or woman. If any good can come from Gary’s murder it will be for anyone who is suffering to seek help.

Until we meet again, we love you Gary, rest in peace.