December 10, 2018 5.20 pm This story is over 62 months old

Child splattered with blood as mother savagely murdered

She was savagely beaten a baseball bat, kicked, and stabbed

A Louth woman was savagely beaten a baseball bat, kicked, and stabbed with a shard of glass by her partner in her own home as her young child was forced to watch, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told.

Marie Gibson, 35, suffered horrific injuries at the hands of Shane Murphy during an incident at the property in Lacey Gardens, Louth, where she was found dead on Saturday, June 9.

An inquest into the death was opened in August after Shaun Murphy, 28, had appeared in court charged with her murder in June.

Her injuries were so severe that her face was unrecognisable.

The jury was told that a 999 call was made from Marie’s mobile phone moments before her death. Although she did not manage to speak to the operator it recorded voices from within her home with Murphy overheard saying “I’m going to kill you.”

The attack, the jury was told, happened in front of a young child who was left splattered with blood.

Michael Auty QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “This attack was both savage and utterly relentless in its nature. It was calculated and most chillingly of all it was rational in its execution.

“In the recording [of the 999 call] the defendant was saying he was going to kill her and he does.

“The call lasted one minute and 46 seconds. The line was left open but there was no direct conversation with the operator. It was plainly Marie’s last desperate effort.”

“There is no doubt that it was Shane Murphy who was exclusively responsible for Marie Gibson’s death. He killed her and when he killed her, he intended to kill her. He can be heard to say so in the telephone call made moments before her death to the emergency services.

“Having killed her he never for a moment lifted a finger to help her. He wanted her dead. He was punishing her. She had to pay. She paid with her life.”

Mr Auty said that as a result of the 999 call police were dispatched to Marie’s home, while an officer repeatedly tried to call Marie’s mobile only to continually be diverted to voice message.

When detectives knocked on her door there was no answer and they forced the door only to find Marie dead on the floor.

Murphy had left the scene by the time officers arrived but was arrested the same afternoon after he was spotted emerging from his mother’s home nearby.

Later in interview he claimed he tried to leave Marie’s house following an argument but the door was locked.

He claimed he tried to restrain Marie but she attacked him with a baseball bat. The bat, he said, connected with a mirror causing shard of glass to break off and lodge in her neck.

Mr Auty described Murphy’s explanation as “absolutely absurd.”

Murphy, 28, of Little Lane, Louth, denies the murder of Marie Gibson on June 9 this year.

The jury has been told that he accepts killing her but says his responsibility for doing so was diminished by a mental health condition he had at the time.

The trial continues.