A man has been charged with the murder of a woman after reports of a disturbance at a house in Gateshead, police have said.
Northumbria police named the dead woman as 37-year-old Laura Robson and said her family were being supported by specially trained officers.
A spokesperson said police received a report at about 10.20pm on Monday of a disturbance at an address in the Greenside area. The emergency services attended and found Robson “with serious injuries consistent with being caused by an assault”. She was pronounced dead a short time later.
Ben Hughes, 38, was arrested and has been charged with murder. He is due to appear at South Tyneside magistrates court in South Shields on Wednesday.
Detectives have asked the public to not speculate about the circumstances of the incident. Police said it was thought that those involved were known to each other.
The senior investigating officer on the case, DCI Rebecca Fenney, of the force’s major investigation team, said: “I’d like to take this opportunity to reiterate that our thoughts remain with Laura’s family and friends at this devastating time. We are continuing to support them following this tragic incident and would ask that they are given time and privacy to process what has happened.
“A man has now been charged with Laura’s murder and is due to appear before court. I would ask that the public refrain from any speculation – both online and in the community – and respect the ongoing legal proceedings.
“Anyone who has information regarding our investigation which could assist us should still get in touch.”
A police cordon was in place around the property on Wednesday morning and flowers had been placed at the scene.
