A woman has been found guilty of murder after stabbing her boyfriend in the heart in an "explosive drink-fuelled rage".
Emma Walsh is now facing a life sentence after killing Gary Morgan at her home in Lavan Close, Everton, on April 10 this year. Jurors at Liverpool Crown Court returned their verdict this afternoon, Friday, after an hour and 37 minutes of deliberation.
The 31-year-old refused to enter the dock as the unanimous conclusion was delivered, being met with sighs of relief from Mr Morgan's loved ones. The Honorary Recorder of Liverpool Judge Andrew Menary KC said he would pass sentence on Monday morning, October 17, "whether she is there or not".
READ MORE: Man who scarred woman for life with hot oil will be back walking streets in months
He added: "Inevitably, the sentence is life. The question for the court is to determine the appropriate minimum term."
"It will not assist her position at all if she refuses to come. I would be very concerned if she was attempting to manipulate things, but these are stressful times."
The judge - who thanked the jury, as well as the families of both parties for the "decorum shown" - also said "there have been times when I have feared she hasn't wanted to engage for whatever reason". Richard Pratt KC, defending, said Walsh had been "extremely nervous before lunch".
The trial previously heard Walsh attacked 36-year-old Mr Morgan, from Prescot, after the couple had gone out for the evening at the Belmont Pub, where they watched a Liverpool FC match and stayed for a karaoke night. John Benson, KC, prosecuting, had told the jury Walsh was a "controlling individual with an explosive temper", particularly after drinking.
Walsh had claimed she stabbed Mr Morgan in self-defence, but the jury heard Mr Morgan had told friends and family that she had assaulted him on several occasions before the fatal incident, including stabbing him with a butter knife and hitting him with a rake. The jury also heard Walsh had stabbed a previous partner.
Mr Benson said during his closing arguments: "You can recall his excitement at thought of meeting Emma Walsh. Little would he have known he was embarking on a romance with a young woman who, we say, had some deep seated character flaws.
"Those flaws provide the clue as to what happened that night. She is, we suggest, a controlling individual. It is a characteristic coupled with an irrational, suspicious mistrust of her partners and an explosive temper, particularly when in drink - a readiness to use violence with teeth and weapons, including knives. Sadly, the reality is there was never going to be a happy ending to this relationship.
"In a drink-fuelled rage, she attacked Gary Morgan with the knife. This was nothing other than an attack, when the defendant had no reason to be defending herself from a violent attack by Gary Morgan."
Mr Benson said Walsh "has it in herself to attack people with knives". He referred to an incident in which she is said to have stabbed her former partner Ayton Courtney-Stevens, whom he said "nearly suffered the very same fate as Gary Morgan".
Mr Pratt had argued that Walsh had also been the victim of violence from Mr Morgan and the prosecution had not disproved that she was acting in self defence. But Mr Benson highlighted that Walsh's story had changed from her first accounts, which included claiming he had been attacked by "some fella in town" and also that he had sustained his fatal injury after falling onto a broken shard of a bluetooth speaker.
READ NEXT: Holly and Phil 'booed by fans' as This Morning win National Television Award
Blow for Hooters as plans rejected by council
Kwasi Kwarteng sacked as Chancellor amid chaos in government
Man cries and tells pregnant partner 'I'm sorry' as he's jailed for smuggling drugs into Creamfields
Police reps disgusted at 'low sentence' handed to thug who drove van over officer
