A woman cleared of murdering her ex-husband "gloated" about killing him, a court heard. In 2012 a jury acquitted Sharon Hodges of fatally stabbing Philip Gibbs at their caravan at Sand Bay caravan park, in Kewstoke near Weston-super-Mare.
But a jury at Bristol Crown Court heard that, last year, Hodges assaulted Neil Mathisen who she was living with. And in a second assault on Syleka Edwards, a drunk and aggressive Hodges was heard to be "gloating about having murdered her ex-husband by stabbing him".
Hodges, 51, of Meadowsweet Avenue in Filton, pleaded guilty to two assaults and breaching a non-molestation order. She appeared from custody for sentence today (March 9, 2022).
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The Recorder of Bristol His Honour Judge Peter Blair QC jailed Hodges for 38 weeks and handed her an indefinite restraining order regarding Mr Mathisen. He told her: "The assault on Mr Mathisen was in a domestic context, an abuse of power. You had a history that made Mr Mathisen fear you."
Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said Hodges had been in an on and off relationship with Mr Mathisen for eight or nine years. The court heard Mr Mathisen described her as an alcoholic who became violent in drink, whom he had called police about on a number of occasions.
Mr Treharne told the court in December last year Hodges had been drinking, became aggressive, and he locked himself in a bedroom as she banged and shouted through the door. He said the next morning Hodges grabbed his arms before picking up a glass wok lid and threatening to smash his face with it. Police were called, Hodges was arrested but was released on police bail.
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The court heard a week later Hodges failed to surrender herself to police, and officers were called to a new address where she was staying with housemates Syleka Edwards and Kelly Marsh. Mr Treharne said: "There was a report she threatened to kill them. The defendant was drunk and aggressive and was gloating about having murdered her ex-husband by stabbing him."
Mr Treharne said Hodges pushed Miss Edwards, who fled to Miss Kelly's room. Hodges then kicked the door open, tried to punch Miss Edwards in the face, and pushed her to her collar bone, the court heard.
Hodges was then said to have shouted: "I'm going to kill you like I killed the c***." Police arrested her and she gave a prepared statement denying the threats or assault. The court heard though Mr Mathisen had a non-molestation order for Hodges not to contact him, in last December last year she phoned him on a number of occasions.
Fred Batstone, defending, said his remorseful client had alcohol and mental health issues and had not meant the things she said. He told the court: "She says she cannot go back to the drinking, it will kill her. She has significant liver problems, a fractured back, and she knows she needs to look after herself."
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