A pregnant woman who stabbed her boyfriend to death at a New Year’s Eve party while six children were in the flat has been jailed for life for his murder.
Hannah Sindrey, 24, was convicted of the murder of 31-year-old Paul Fletcher at her flat in Worcester Drive, Rayleigh, following a trial at Basildon Crown Court, Essex Police said.
She was sentenced at the same court on Friday and must serve at least 14 years and five months before she can be considered for parole, the force said.
Prosecutor Christine Agnew QC told the trial Mr Fletcher took Sindrey’s phone, and one belonging to her friend Kelly Blackwell, after taking cocaine and becoming paranoid that Sindrey may have been cheating on him.
Police said Mr Fletcher, known as Dod, was stabbed in the chest in the fracas that broke out in the early hours of New Year’s Day in 2021.
Sindrey’s two children and 26-year-old Ms Blackwell’s four children were in the flat at the time.
Police said the friends blamed each other for Mr Fletcher’s death, but Ms Blackwell, from Southend, was cleared of murder.
Sindrey had been pregnant with Mr Fletcher’s child at the time of the incident and gave birth while remanded in custody, according to EssexLive.
In a statement released through police, Mr Fletcher’s family said they were “heartbroken” by his death.
“Our family have been devastated and are heartbroken following the death of Paul ‘Dod’ Fletcher,” they said.
“On the fateful night that his life ended, it destroyed so many other lives as well.
“Dod was a big part of everyone’s life. He was loved deeply by our family. He was a son, brother and father. His death has left us broken.
“We would like to thank the ambulance service for their efforts on the night Dod died. We also want to thank the detectives involved in the investigation for all their hard work, in particular the support and understanding of our family liaison officer.”
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.”
Additional reporting by Press Association
