Young mother stabbed to
Family devastated by boyfriend’s violent, unprovoked attack
A HAYES man faces life in jail after stabbing his girlfriend and mother-ofone to death whilst she was asleep and defenceless in her own home.
Billy White, 23, of Pinkwell Lane, Hayes, pleaded guilty to murdering 25-year-old Lucy Ayris on Wednesday May 11, after changing pleas and putting her family to ‘hell and back’.
He will serve a recommended minimum 15 years in prison.
White had admitted the ‘unprovoked’ killing in court a year ago, but the plea was reversed when psychiatrist reports were submitted.
He was due to stand trial last week at the Old Bailey but changed his plea, yet again, to guilty.
Detective Inspector Simon Pickford, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This was a violent and unprovoked attack. It appears White fatally stabbed Lucy while she was asleep defenceless.
“I must pay tribute to Lucy’s family who have conducted themselves throughout these proceedings with incredible courage and dignity.”
The couple had been in a volatile relationship for around 18 months, which saw White hitting and hurting Lucy, before pleading for forgiveness repeatedly and entering her life again, her family say.
All seemed well between the couple, on March 6 last year, after the pair socialised at home with friends and family.
But the alarm was raised at around 5.10am the following morning, when police were called to reports of a woman suffering stab injuries at her flat in Pinkwell Lane.
Police, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene and found Lucy covered with a blood-stained quilt in the bedroom.
The mum-of-one had been stabbed in the neck and was found with a knife by her feet.
She was taken to Hillingdon Hospital
and where she pronounced dead.
White, with his hands covered in blood, was arrested at the scene, telling officers “I’m sorry”.
He had called his mother immediately after the murder, distressed and telling her he had killed Lucy.
Later, in a police interview, he claimed he had no memory of the
was attack, but was charged with murder on March 8, 2015.
According to Metropolitan Police, White had a history of mental health, suffering from a personality disorder and psychosis.
White originally pleaded guilty but was then allowed to change his plea to not guilty and a trial was set to take place.
The family were told January 2016, first of all, and then it was changed to May 9, 2016.
The sad case, along with another domestic violence murder in the borough of nurse Emily Munemo, prompted a ‘dynamic operation’ by police to detect those involved in such abuse, and a campaign by Hillingdon Council to raise awareness.