Waltham Forest Man Found Guilty of Manslaughter After Bloody Head Injury Death
Mitchell Denahy, 27, from Waverley Avenue in Waltham Forest, was convicted of manslaughter at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 3 March. The jury couldn’t decide on the murder charge, but found him guilty of causing the death of 61-year-old Beverley Denahy.
Jury Deadlocked on Murder but Manslaughter Verdict Delivered
A previous trial in July 2022 ended with a hung jury on the murder charge. This time around, Denahy was remanded in custody ahead of a sentencing hearing set for 28 April at the same court.
Shocking Scene at Waverley Avenue Home
- Police were called at 11.33pm on Wednesday, 22 January 2020, following a disturbance.
- Officers found Beverley Denahy dead in the hallway, her head and body hidden beneath clothing and household items.
- Blood spatters covered the walls.
- Post-mortem revealed blunt force trauma to the head as cause of death.
Forensics Unearth Blood-Stained Evidence
Forensic specialists recovered Beverley’s trainers, jogging bottoms, and shirt soaked in her blood. A blood-stained metal stopcock key, nearly a metre long and used to control house water supply, was also found at the scene.
Defendant Arrested and Silent in Police Interview
Denahy was arrested at the home on suspicion of murder. He mostly refused to comment during interviews. Charged on 24 January 2020, he stayed in custody until the manslaughter verdict.
Detective Chief Inspector Laurence Smith, Specialist Crime, said: “Our thoughts are with Beverley’s family, who have had to face losing her in such a tragic and distressing way.”
