Ashley Kemp, aged 55 of Robinson Grove, Hibaldstow, was charged with the murder of Clair Armstrong at her home in November 2022.
Appearing at Hull Crown Court in February, Kemp entered a guilty plea for manslaughter, however, this was declined, and a trial was scheduled at Grimsby Crown Court and commenced in April.
On Tuesday 25 April, a jury returned a verdict and found Ashley Kemp guilty of murder following five-day trial.
On Sunday 6 November 2022 at 12:40am, Ashley Kemp made a 999 call and told a call handler “I have killed my girlfriend. We got into a fight, and I ended up strangling her.”
Officers were immediately deployed to Elm Way in Messingham where they conducted a search of the house and discovered Clair in her bedroom having suffered fatal injuries to her neck, she had also sustained a head injury.
Ashley Kemp fled the scene and whilst driving at speed between Hemswell and Willoughton he crashed into a tree. He was located by officers close to where he had crashed and arrested on suspicion of Clair’s murder.
Whilst being interviewed by detectives, Kemp admitted to headbutting his partner Clair before strangling her to stop her talking, after an argument for which she had asked him to leave her home that she shared with her family.
Following the sentence of Kemp, Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Simon Vickers leading the investigation into Clair’s murder said: “Whilst I know the sentence served at court today won’t bring Clair back, I hope it will provide her loved ones with some closure as they continue to grieve for their mum, sister and friend.
“I hope the sentence provides Kemp with ample time to consider the unforgiveable pain he put Clair, and her family through.”
Following the verdict, speaking of their loss, Clair’s family said: “Since that horrible moment in November last year, our world was shattered, and our lives changed forever.
“We miss Clair incredibly and cannot remember a day where our hearts have not ached as we have continued to try and piece together how we will move forward without her.
“We had hoped that Kemp would have showed us some decency and admit to his unforgiveable actions to spare our family the torture of hearing the details of how our beautiful Clair died.
“We’re pleased that justice has now been served and whilst we don’t know when, we may at some point be able to accept life without Clair here with us, but we will never forget her or what he did to take that amazing person from us.”
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