Margate woman Janice Carter jailed for husband's murder

BBC News

April 3, 2012

A 29-year-old Kent woman has been jailed for a minimum of 12 years for the murder of her former husband, who was stabbed 19 times.

Kevin Carter, 30, was found dead in the flat he shared with Janice Carter in Sweyn Road, Margate on 14 October 2011.

Canterbury Crown Court heard they had a long history of domestic violence and had recently got back together.

Jailing Carter, Judge Adele Williams said it was "self-defence which turned into an attack".

Kent Police said the couple had divorced three years before the murder, and on the day of his death Mr Carter had just been released from prison for driving offences.

At the flat in Sweyn Road, they got into an argument about where the tracker unit for his electronic tag should be located. The row turned violent and Mr Carter was stabbed in the neck, chest and abdomen.

Carter admitted stabbing him but claimed that she had only done so in self-defence.

Det Insp Trevor Fleming, from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, described it as a tragic case where a volatile situation had turned violent.

"Whatever happened that night between Janice and Kevin Carter could never justify stabbing someone 19 times with a kitchen knife," he added.

Margate mum Janice Carter guilty of murdering lover

By Paul Hooper - KentOnline.co.uk

April 3, 2012

A Margate mother has this afternoon been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering her partner - just hours after he was released from a prison sentence.

Janice Carter, 28, wept as she was told she will serve at least 12 years before she is eligible for parole.

She plunged a kitchen knife through the heart of 30-year-old Kevin Carter during a frenzied attack at their home.

Blonde-haired Carter, who admitted stabbing her ex-husband in self-defence but denied murder, knifed him 24 times after a reunion between the couple turned sour during an argument.

A jury of eight women and four men at Canterbury Crown Court found her guilty of murder this afternoon by an 11-1 majority.

Passing sentence, Judge Adele Williams told her: "It started out as a defence - but turned to attack."

The pair had a long history of alcohol-fuelled domestic violence. Although they had divorced three years before the murder, they had recently got back together.

Christopher May, prosecuting, had told how Mr Carter - who had been serving an 180-day sentence for motoring offences - had been looking forward to his early release last October.

"There were, however, some sources of tension between the two of them in the run up to his release from prison," he said.

"One of these concerned the arrangements for the terms of his release."

The two had been drinking beer and spirits during the evening and playing loud music at their flat in Sweyn Road, Margate, the court was told.

But when officials from G4S arrived to install an electronic monitoring device inside the flat, which was part of the conditions of the prison release, the couple fell out.

Mr May said: "The tagging equipment was eventually installed in the bedroom and Janice carter was described as not happy about that, though she was joking and hugging the G4S employees."

A neighbour - who had been drinking with the couple earlier - returned to his flat, but could hear the couple shouting.

Mr May said: "He was able to make out some of the swear words. He could also hear Janice's voice getting louder and it sounded like there was a full-blown row between the two."

Between 8pm and 8.20pm, the neighbour heard three hollow thumps and Mr Carter shouting.

"There was another hollow thump and after that there was no more shouting," Mr May said. "After 10 minutes he heard an internal door slam and after that just the sound of music. At 9pm the music suddenly went off."

The prosecutor added Carter had gone to the home of her sister, Michelle Cheney, in Zion Place and told her:"I've killed him. I've stabbed him. I think he's dead."

Her brother-in-law went to the flat and found Mr Carter lying on the kitchen floor with a kitchen knife by his side.

Mrs Carter told her sister: "I didn't mean it. I didn't mean to do it. I never hurt anyone. Michelle, I said to Kevin: 'Please wake up. Please wake up'. But he wouldn't wake up."

A pathologist discovered some of the knife wounds had penetrated his heart and lung and severed an artery.

Mum Janice Carter tells jury how she stabbed lover during drunken fight

By Paul Hooper - KentOnline.co.uk

March 27, 2012

A mum-of-two has told a jury of the moment she struck out at her lover during a drunken fight at her Margate home.

Janice Carter, 28, claimed she had suffered years of physical and verbal abuse by her 30-year-old ex-husband Kevin Carter.

He was found dead at the flat in Sweyn Road - just hours after being released from a prison sentence for driving offences.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how his body had been discovered with 21 knife wounds.

The couple were still together despite divorcing two years earlier and a jury was read Mr Carter's love letters penned from his cell - just days before his death - in which he said he wanted to re-marry and have more children.

But Janice, who denies murder, told the court she had lived in fear of the man she claimed had regularly beaten her.

Despite the beatings, she told the jury she frequently forgave him after he apologised, "because I loved him".

In October last year, Mr Carter had been released early from a 180-day sentence on condition that he was electronically tagged.

But when security officials arrived to fit the monitoring device the pair - who had been drinking beer during the afternoon - began arguing about where it was to be placed inside the flat.

That argument led a fight which resulted in Mr Carter dying from stab wounds - including one which severed an artery, the court heard.

Janice Carter had told the court how she had met her lover in Margate after his prison release and the two then went to a pub for a drink.

"When we got back we kissed and cuddled. We were still drinking," she said.

She claimed that Mr Carter "got the hump" after making a phone call to his son and when a neighbour arrived to complain about the loud music they invited him to stay for a drink.

But when her ex-husband left the room, she persuaded the neighbour to take a large glass of Southern Comfort and tip it down the drain.

She claimed that when Mr Carter discovered his drink missing it made him even more angry and after the neighbour left she claimed she was attacked.

"He began slapping me with the palm of his hand across my head from side to side. He was screaming in my face. I was scared. I was trying to calm him down.

"He started kicking things around the room. I wanted to leave but he never gave me a chance.

"We were in the kitchen and he grabbed my hair and I was holding his arms. I just reached behind and grabbed a knife. I just swung the knife and stabbed him. I just lashed out. I can't remember how many times.

"I just wanted him to stop him pulling my hair. When he let go, I dropped the knife and ran out of the door."

Her barrister, Oliver Saxby asked: "Did you intend to kill him?"

She replied: "No."

The court heard how that Mrs Carter then went to the home of her sister, Michelle Cheney, in Zion Place and told her: "I've killed him. I've stabbed him. I think he's dead."

Her brother-in-law went to the flat and found Mr Carter lying on the kitchen floor with a kitchen knife by his side.

A pathologist discovered some of the knife wounds had penetrated his heart and lung and severed an artery.