February 2, 2022 3.43 pm This story is over 25 months old

Boston mum on trial for murdering partner details turbulent upbringing in defence

At 13 she was moved between 20 different carers
20-year-old Christopher Higgs from Spalding was named as the victim.

A Boston woman who denies murdering her partner today (Wednesday) began giving evidence in her defence.

Charlie Stevenson, 21, denies murdering Christopher Higgs, also 21, at her home in Portland Street, Boston.

The prosecution allege Mr Higgs died from a single stab wound to the heart which was deliberately inflicted by Ms Stevenson on July 14 last year.

Ms Stevenson denies murder and told a 999 operator Mr Higgs slipped and fell on the knife.

She also told a police officer who attended the scene Mr Higgs stabbed himself.

Police investigating the alleged murder at the property on Portland Street, Boston. | Photo: David Dawson

Giving evidence at Lincoln Crown Court, Ms Stevenson told a jury she was brought up by her grandmother until the age of four and was then placed into foster care.

Ms Stevenson said she attended school but at the age of 13 was moved between 20 different carers and establishments.

The jury heard Ms Stevenson met her mother on just one occasion. “We spent a day together, but mum got a bit drunk,” Ms Stevenson said.

Ms Stevenson said another placement involved living on a barge, but she did not like it because she felt very isolated.

At that time Ms Stevenson said she was prevented from going to her father’s funeral.

Other placements followed in Wales, a crisis centre in Durham and a small home in Somerset where she got into trouble for assaulting staff.

A two year placement followed in Birmingham which Ms Stevenson said “she really liked”.

Officers in boiler suits at the scene of the incident. | Photo: David Dawson

But during that period Ms Stevenson said her mother died in police custody at the age of just 42, and she was again prevented from going to the funeral.

“I was very upset,” Miss Stevenson told the jury.

Miss Stevenson said she was placed in secure accommodation in Scotland, and then moved to Northamptonshire where she fell pregnant at the age of 17.

Incidents occurred where the police were involved, and Miss Stevenson admitted she had anger towards to the police because of the circumstances of her mother’s death.

The jury heard Ms Stevenson was allowed to look after her newborn son at an assessment centre but the child was eventually placed with a guardian.

Ms Stevenson said: “It broke me, I didn’t have a purpose.”

Ms Stevenson later began a relationship with Mr Higgs and they shared a young child – but they did not always live together.

The jury heard Mr Higgs sometimes lived in Spalding and on the day of his death should not have been staying at Ms Stevenson’s home because of a domestic incident between them.

Mr Higgs was found with a serious stab wound after Ms Stevenson rang 999.

The prosecution allege the couple often bickered and Ms Stevenson picked up a knife.

Christopher Donnellan QC, prosecuting, told the jury: “The prosecution case is that the blow was deliberately inflicted, it was not an accident, it wasn’t done in self defence, or because of a mental health issue or a personality disorder which you may hear about.”