Life sentence for killer who stabbed Saundersfoot woman to death (From Western Telegraph)

Life sentence for killer who stabbed Saundersfoot woman to death

4:37pm Friday 24th July 2009

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The family of a Saundersfoot woman who was “ferociously and viciously” stabbed to death by her partner have labelled him a “coward” after he refused to face them in court today (Friday).

John Kelly, aged 46, was today jailed for life for murdering his wife Pauline Silveria, aged 44, by stabbing her 13 times in the chest and face.

He stabbed her so much that he broke the knife and went to get another one to continue the killing reports the Hull Daily Mail.

Kelly refused to leave his prison cell at Sheffield Crown Court and enter the dock to face his wife’s family.

Kelly, of Trinity Road, Bridlington, pleaded guilty to murdering Pauline on August 6th last year.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams sentenced him to life imprisonment and ordered him to serve a minimum term of 14 and a half years.

He said: “The ferocity of the attack is demonstrated not only by the number of stab wounds but also by the fact you broke the knife and got another to continue the attack.

"You clearly intended to kill her.The last few moments of her life must have been terrifying. Leaving her body you went to a neighbours and then to the pub without any trace of emotion of having killed her. Your relationship lastly barely 12 months and was characterised by violence.”

Kelly had stabbed Pauline twice before in the months prior to her death.

Despite the police alerting the Domestic Violence Accommodation Project to her plight their hands were tied as Pauline would not press charges against Kelly.

On the day of her death she had been out with friend in the resort and when she returned home at 2pm Kelly had attacked her.

He has never spoken of what he did but forensic scientists reconstructed the scene and believe he stabbed her as she sat on the sofa.

Prosecutor David Bradshaw said: “Kelly stabbed her while she was seated on the sofa, she fell to the floor from her injury where she remained as blood flowed from her injuries. She made it to the kitchen using a coffee table as support and came to rest on her back. He knelt over her and repeatedly stabbed her around the body and head and eye. The knife he was using broke due to the ferocity of the attack, he took another and continued the attack and to stab her.”

Out of 13 stab wounds two were fatal to the heart and lungs.

Kelly then told his neighbour “I’ve done our lass in, I have killed her”, he then went to the New Crown Pub on Quay Road and ordered a pint of lager.

When customers asked if he had been in a fight he replied “no, I have killed our lass.”

The police then arrested him at 6.35pm in the pub.

He told them: “Just take me to Hull Prison, the bitch deserved it.”

Detective Chief Inspector Sharon Fielding said: “He has shown no remorse for killing the woman he was supposed to love. It was a vicious and ferocious attack.”

He has 37 previous convictions including assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon.

Pauline moved to the resort in 2007 and after a brief romance married Kelly in October 2007.

In January last year he attacked Pauline in the evening, kicked her and stabbed her in the stomach and she had to receive hospital treatment.

He was arrested and kept in custody but Pauline withdrew her statement and he was released.

In March she was on the phone to her daughter and shouted “he has a knife” she called the police but when they arrived they claimed it was just an argument.

In May last year the police informed the Domestic Violence Accommodation Project to monitor Kelly.

After her death a neighbour claimed he had witnessed Kelly chasing Pauline with a knife and when he had intervened he had been assaulted.

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