Arthur Labinjo-Hughes: Residents hold vigil in Solihull

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Ian Bennett, of Moordown Avenue in Solihull, launched a ferocious attack on mum-of-two Kerry Woolley then roped his own mother into a “cowardly” plot to hide his sick crime. The 38-year-old was described at Birmingham Crown Court as having acted in a “paranoid, obsessive and controlling way”.

On Tuesday, a jury took less than an hour to find Mr Bennett guilty of murder and his mother, Lynda Bennett, 63, guilty of assisting an offender and carrying out an act intended to pervert the course of justice.

Kerry was found dead at her home in Olton, Solihull, on July 12 last year.

She was stabbed after Bennett accused her of sleeping with a woman they met at a wine bar in Solihull.

Caroline Goodwin QC, prosecuting, said the defendant would not let the matter go and they had a row during which he threw her phone at the TV.

Miss Goodwin said the attack was “brutal and deliberate” with the majority of injuries inflicted to Kerry’s neck area.

She added that there was evidence of defensive injuries and that Bennett also tried to suffocate her.

Hours later he called the emergency services to Kerry’s home where she was found.

Miss Goodwin said: “That call was nothing other than a pre-planned call hours after he knew already she was dead.

“He had been a guest at her home the night before he attacked her. It was a deliberate attack to kill her.”

She continued: “It was both brutal and deliberate. [Kerry] sustained 54 sharp force injuries, the majority in her neck area.

“This violence was done with two knives. Her injuries were catastrophic.”

After the attack, Bennett played the part of the hard-done boyfriend who had found his girlfriend dead.

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Miss Goodwin told the court: “He sought to duck and dive, misleading the police. Too cowardly to accept what he had done.”

She added that he had tried to burn some clothing and had gone out in a car, driven by his mother, on a Sunday morning to dump items from the flat including a knife which he threw into a canal.

The police found out about the ruse because it was captured on dashcam footage accidentally recorded by Lynda Bennett.

Miss Goodwin said: “He did all he could to cover up his involvement. The destruction of the evidence was done with the willing assistance of his mother.
“It was part of a masquerade.”

Bennett did not give evidence during the trial but claimed to police that during an argument Kerry had been aggressive and had a knife.

He then claimed to have blacked out, saying he had no memory of what happened.

Lynda Bennett, also of Moordown Avenue in Solihull, told the jury she was not aware of her son dumping items or that he had harmed Kerry.

The pair are due to be sentenced by Judge Melbourne Inman QC tomorrow.

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