Katie Yeomans jailed for 5 years over the stabbing death of Rees Howarth
Tragic death in Hyde: Rees Howarth fatally stabbed
On Wednesday 8 November 2023, Katie Yeomans was sentenced to five years and three months at Manchester Crown Court. This followed the tragic death of 28-year-old Rees Howarth in Hyde, Tameside.
The grim incident occurred on Sunday 23 April 2023. At around 2:55pm, police were called to reports of a domestic disturbance on Thorsby Avenue. Emergency services found Rees in critical condition with a stab wound to his upper chest. Despite frantic efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Events leading to the fatal attack
Investigations revealed that Yeomans and Rees had been out drinking with friends in Oldham town centre the previous night. They returned to Yeomans’ home and continued drinking into the afternoon. Around 2:25pm, phone records show Yeomans briefly called emergency services but hung up after one second. She then phoned a family member who rushed to the house by taxi.
The family member discovered Rees covered in blood in the hallway and immediately contacted another relative, who called for help. First responders attempted CPR but Rees sadly died at the scene. The cause of death was confirmed as a stab wound to the chest.
Arrest, charges, and guilty plea
- Two people, aged 19 and 27, were arrested on suspicion of murder.
- The 19-year-old woman was released without charge.
- On 25 April, Yeomans, 27, was charged with Rees’s murder and remanded in custody.
- On 1 November 2023, Yeomans pleaded guilty to manslaughter on grounds of loss of control.
Justice served but grief remains
On sentencing day, Duncan Thorpe of GMP’s Major Incident Support Unit said: “Whatever sentence is imposed it will not be enough and it will sadly not bring Rees back. My thoughts are with Rees’ family and loved ones — no parent, child, or friend should have their loved one taken away in this manner.”
Rees’s family paid tribute to him as an “active and outgoing man, funny and loving, with a heart of gold.” They described him as a “larger-than-life character who will be deeply missed” and asked for privacy as they continue to grieve their devastating loss.
