An obsessive “she devil” who murdered a love rival in a brutal attack she plotted with a friend has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.

Sarah Williams, 35, stunned Sadie Hartley with a cattle prod and stabbed her 41 times in an “orgy of violence”.

She attacked Ms Hartley, 60, at her home in Helmshore, Lancashire, in a bid to win back ex-lover Ian Johnston.

Williams and accomplice Katrina Walsh, 56, were both found guilty of murder and given life sentences.

Walsh was ordered to serve a minimum term of 25 years for her part in the killing, described by a judge as being “planned and rehearsed down to the finest detail”.

An obsessive “she devil” who murdered a love rival in a brutal attack she plotted with a friend has been jailed for a minimum of 30 years.

Sarah Williams, 35, stunned Sadie Hartley with a cattle prod and stabbed her 41 times in an “orgy of violence”.

She attacked Ms Hartley, 60, at her home in Helmshore, Lancashire, in a bid to win back ex-lover Ian Johnston.

Williams and accomplice Katrina Walsh, 56, were both found guilty of murder and given life sentences.

Walsh was ordered to serve a minimum term of 25 years for her part in the killing, described by a judge as being “planned and rehearsed down to the finest detail”.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court deliberated for seven hours and nine minutes before returning a verdict at the end of the seven-week trial.

During the trial, prosecutor John McDermott QC described the duo as a self-styled "Batman and Robin but on the wrong side of the law".

He said they plotted to fulfil Williams' desire to rekindle her relationship with 57-year-old Mr Johnston, which he had ended after she became "possessive and difficult", jurors heard.

After dumping "obsessive and jealous" Williams, Mr Johnston began a new life with Ms Hartley - but his ex-lover and her accomplice spent 18 months plotting the "perfect murder" to win him back.

Williams, who described herself as a "she devil" and "little psycho", had sent Ms Hartley a "spiteful" letter in June 2014, claiming she and Mr Johnston had enjoyed "unbelievably fantastic sex" behind her back, but it failed to end the couple's relationship.

The planning that followed was described in court as "the stuff of spy novels".

Williams and Walsh travelled to Germany to buy the stun gun last December and, exactly a week before Ms Hartley was murdered, Walsh delivered flowers to her door in a dry run for their plans.

Posted by Acumé

August 2016

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