A Killer Makes a Call: Who is Dawn Lewis and why did the Glastonbury yoga teacher murder ex-cop Glenn Richards?
DAWN Lewis has been convicted of murdering her lodger Glenn Richards in Glastonbury.
Channel 5’s documentary, A Killer Makes a Call, delves into the case of Dawn Lewis, who claimed the stabbing was in self-defence.
Who is Dawn Lewis?
Dawn Lewis was convicted of murdering her lodger, Glenn Richards, in Glastonbury, Somerset, on April 18, 2022.
Lewis, a former police officer and yoga teacher, had been living with Richards since 2011.
Glenn had previously served time in prison for killing his ex-wife Karen in front of their two sons in 2001.
Their friendship had soured in the months leading up to the incident, despite having been pals for 12 years before Glenn moved in.
On the day of the murder, Lewis called 999 and claimed that after an altercation with Glenn, he initially stabbed her.
She said she then took the knife from him and used it against him.
She said in the 999 call: “Right, I don’t know really what happened.
“He’s a lodger, I wanted to get him out. He said no.
“I went to the door, he stabbed me in the leg, I took the knife off him, I stabbed him.
“He fell down the stairs – I stabbed him again, as he was trying to take the knife off me and I called you.”
Earlier that day, Lewis had video-called a friend, showing off an eight-inch knife and discussing a plan to stab Glenn in his bedroom and then herself to frame him.
She said on the phone: “Should I just go up to his bedroom and stab him and then stab myself a little bit and tell them he did this?”
Glenn suffered five fatal stab wounds, while Lewis sustained three minor cuts.
Emergency services immediately provided first aid to Glenn when arriving on the scene, but he died of his injuries on site.
Lewis was taken to hospital to get her wounds treated.
CCTV footage showed her arrest on April 18, 2022, when officers arrived on scene and found her covered in blood.
The jury had no choice in my mind but to reject Lewis’ lies and find her guilty of murder.
Detective Inspector Neil Meade
Why did Dawn Lewis murder Glenn Richards?
On December 1, 2022, Dawn Lewis has been found guilty to a life sentence for fatally stabbing 61-year-old Glenn Richards at her home, motivated by her desire to evict him.
The jury dismissed her claim of self-defence due to evidence, which suggested that she self-inflicted her stab wounds to support her story.
She also called a friend, stating her intention to kill Glenn.
Detectives uncovered aggressive voicemails from Lewis to Glenn and text messages between the two, further casting doubt on her account of events.
Detective Inspector Neil Meade, the senior investigating officer, revealed that Dawn Lewis had claimed she feared Glenn Richards due to his deteriorating mental health and her concerns about what he might do to her.
According to Meade, the evidence was overwhelming, leaving the jury no choice but to reject Lewis’s self-defence claims and convict her of murder.
Talking about Glenn’s son Jamie, Meade said: “Mr Richards had been estranged from his sons for a number of years but had recently begun to reconnect.
“They were due to meet up in the near future but Lewis’ actions robbed them of this opportunity.
“Specially trained family liaison officers have kept them informed throughout and our thoughts continue to be with them.”
Jamie Richards shared with The Sun how his father’s death has resurfaced the traumatic memories of his mother’s murder when he was just 11.
He said: “Since Glenn’s death I have been taken back 21 years to that scared 11-year-old boy unaware of what the future will hold.
“I listened to the details of what Glenn did to my mum and found myself back there in the kitchen, making apple crumble when Glenn burst through the door with a knife screaming ‘where is your mother?’
“It brought back everything, a new wave of emotion that left me feeling confused and emotionally exhausted.
“I felt in moments Glenn deserved what happened, but I have my mum’s heart and no-one, not even Glenn should have their life taken from them.
“Because of Dawn Lewis, I have had to start another grief process because of the murder of another parent all over again.”
How to watch A Killer Makes a Call?
You can watch A Killer Makes A Call on Channel 5’s streaming service My5.
The show first aired on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 on Channel 5, however, the episode on Dawn Lewis is due to repeat on August 6, 2024 at 10 pm.
Summarising the case, My5 says: “Glastonbury yoga teacher Dawn Lewis calls 999 and claims that she has stabbed her lodger Glenn Richards in self-defence.
“Richards had a history of violence, so Lewis’ story seems believable…”