Woman Jailed For Life For Stabbing Her Boyfriend To Death At A Party

Following a trial at Basildon Crown Court, Hannah Sindrey, 24, was found guilty on Friday of the murder of Paul Fletcher, 31, at her flat in Worcester Drive, Rayleigh.

The judge determined that she must spend at least 14 years and five months before being considered for parole, according to Essex Police.

According to police, Fletcher, also known as Dod, was stabbed in the chest during a brawl that erupted in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2021.

Present in the flat at the time of the incident, were Sindrey’s two children and 26-year-old Miss Blackwell’s four children.

The force said Miss Blackwell, of Retort Close, Southend, was cleared of murder.

Fletcher’s family, in a statement released through police, said they were ‘heartbroken’ by his death.

Senior investigating officer Julie Gowen, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: : “This has been a challenging and intensive investigation as my team tirelessly pieced together the hours and minutes which led up to the death of Mr Fletcher in the early hours of New Year’s Day.

“Sindrey’s actions have not only destroyed the lives of Paul’s family and friends, but also her own family.”

It was gathered that when the first officers on scene asked what had happened, Blackwell told them: “Hannah [Sindrey] stabbed him. She is his girlfriend.”

A witness also stated Sindrey was seen holding a kitchen knife and waving it in an aggressive manner towards Fletcher. Moments later, he fell to the ground, the witness told police.

Both women blamed each other for Fletcher’s death when questioned by the police.

Agnew had previously said that Sindrey met Fletcher while he was on a release scheme from prison and was released in October 2020.

She said Fletcher “had concerns whether she [Sindrey] was cheating on him.”

A neighbour said that earlier in the evening when fireworks were set off outside, Fletcher and Sindrey ‘appeared to be loved up and kissing and cuddling.”

Police were called by a neighbour at 12.58 am on New Year’s Day and Fletcher was pronounced dead at 1.48 am.