Crime Solicitors

A mother who killed her partner in a drunken row has been jailed for seven years and told she must serve half the sentence, even though she cannot remember attacking him.

Lisa Palmer, 34 – also known as Lisa McLeod – stabbed her partner Jamie Belshaw, 37, on 8 March 2014, after he returned home and a row erupted between them.

The couple had been drinking when Ms Palmer stabbed Belshaw in the back at their home in Lemington, Northumberland.

Palmer – an interviewer managing a citizenship scheme – had been in a relationship with Mr Belshaw since 2010.

The court heard that the couple had a “turbulent” relationship “marred by alcohol abuse” – and there were faults on both sides of the relationship.

The court accepted that “something unpleasant” had caused Palmer to arm herself with a large kitchen knife during the confrontation, but accepted a lesser plea of manslaughter as a result of her “dissociated amnesia” regarding the incident.

Had she remembered the incident and been convicted or murder, Palmer would have been given a life sentence.

Local publisher The Chronicle reports that the time Palmer spends in jail will also be reduced because she has already spent a year in custody.

The trial heard that Palmer had called for an ambulance at around 9.20pm on the night of the attack, telling emergency operators that her partner had been stabbed.

When asked who had stabbed him, she had replied:

“I think it was me. Yeah, we were arguing.”

Police officers found Mr Belshaw lying bare-chested on the floor of the house, with an 8-inch kitchen knife lying next to him.

He died less than an hour later from a wound in his left upper back, which had been penetrated by up to seven inches with moderate force – the injury had pierced his internal organs, causing massive blood loss.

Palmer told police that she did not mean to kill Mr Belshaw and went on to say:

“How can you kill someone and not even know? I can’t remember doing it, I just remember him being on the floor and I tried to stop the bleeding with my hand.”

Her defence lawyer told the court that before the attack on Mr Belshaw, Palmer had no history of violent behaviour.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Sloan QC told Palmer:

“Mr Belshaw’s death has had a devastating effect on members of his family.

“No sentence I can pass will ever ease their pain – nor secure what they desire above all else: namely the return of a loved one.”

Duncan Lewis Criminal Solicitors

Duncan Lewis criminal solicitors can advise at any stage of a charge relating to violent crime or sexual offences such as murder, rape, gang crime, knife crime, firearms offences, child abuse and domestic violence.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide – our criminal defence solicitors are available 24/7, 365 days a year and regularly visit police stations, courts and prisons to advise on criminal law.

For expert legal advice on all criminal charges, call Duncan Lewis criminal solicitors on 020 7923 4020.

For out-of-hours criminal law advice and representation for police interview under caution, call the Duncan Lewis Crime Lawyers Out-of-Hours Hotline on 07920 077057.