Remembering the women killed by men in 2024
By early August 2024, 50 women had allegedly been killed by men in the UK. Now, it is thought that number is closer to 100.
But these women shouldn’t just be considered yet another statistic in a horrifying body count. These women mattered. They were someone’s daughter, sister, friend, mum, aunt, and much-loved colleague.
Each had a name and a life, before it was brutally stolen from them – more often than not, by someone they once trusted and loved.
Here, Metro pays tribute to just some of the women whose lives were needlessly cut short by men in 2024. For these women, their killers were either found dead, admitted being guilty, or a jury found them so.
Many other women, and their families, are still waiting for justice.
Christine Bauld, 53
Pharmacy dispenser Christine Bauld had a thirst for travel. She and husband Tom would go skiing every year, took trips around the globe and often spent days out in their motor-cruiser moored in Hamble, Hampshire.
In one poignant holiday snap from a few years ago with their only son Gregor, the family pose next to an azure blue sea with Christine – who was known as Tina – leaning in closely next to her son, while dad Tom lovingly rests his hands on the boy’s shoulders.
This year, the family was getting ready for another adventure. With Gregor now in his 20s, they had put their house in Burbage, Leicestershire, on the market and were looking for somewhere new to call home.
But Tina would never get to make that move. On March 3, as she got ready to walk her dog in the village where she and her family had become a much-loved part of the community, her life was brutally ended on the street outside her home.
At her funeral, the song Dancing Queen by Abba was played. It was a beautiful nod to Tina’s reputation of always being the ‘the most smiley, loveliest woman that you could wish to meet’ – and to one cruise holiday in Croatia where Tom discovered his wife leading the crew around the deck dancing the conga.
Tina’s death had come following a row with Gregor over his drug use, where he chased his mother out of her front door and into the street and stabbed her. Tina died later in hospital.
Gregor, who was high when he killed his mother, had battled mental health issues and pleaded guilty at the start of his trial to manslaughter on the basis of diminished responsibility. He was handed a life sentence subject to a hospital order.
This Is Not Right
On November 25, 2024 Metro launched a year-long campaign to address the relentless epidemic of violence against women called This Is Not Right.
Throughout the year we will be bringing you stories that shine a light on the sheer scale of the epidemic.
With the help of our partners at Women's Aid, This Is Not Right aims to educate, engage and empower our readers on the issue of violence against women.
You can find recent articles from the project here, and if you want to share your story with us, you can send us an email at vaw@metro.co.uk.
Maya Bracken, 56
Despite having separated from her husband, Mayawati Bracken was said to have spent Christmas and New Year with him along with their three children, a twin boy and girl, and 18-year-old son, Julian.
When she uploaded a beaming selfie inside her house on January 2, a friend commented: ‘Looking gorgeous as always.’
Known as Maya, the mum of three originally from Indonesia, had moved to the UK from Hong Kong a decade ago, and built a life for her family in the village of Pangbourne in Berkshire.
Described as ’happy’ and ‘quirky’ by those who knew her, Maya was a ‘kind woman who absolutely loved her children’ and would do anything for them.
Three days after she posted her New Year’s selfie, Maya’s body was found inside a car. She had been stabbed and died at the scene. Shortly after, police were called to a casualty on the railway track at Pangbourne station, where Maya’s son Julian was found dead.
A murder investigation was launched following their deaths – which were treated as linked – but no one else is thought to be involved.
Lauren Evans, 22
Standing in her kitchen, Lauren Evans smiles at the camera as she cuddles the family dog Poppy.
Her caring nature on display for all to see, Lauren was a student nurse all set to dedicate her life to looking after others. According to her family, she had a smile that ‘would brighten the darkest day’ and her ‘thoughtful, caring and loving nature made her endearing to so many during her short life.’
Lauren, who lived in Bridgend, had always dreamed of working in mental health nursing after achieving great academic success. It was a career, her family said, that they knew Lauren ‘would have excelled and been an attentive and caring nurse.’
However, it was a dream unfulfilled when Laura’s short life was snatched away on June 25, when she was found murdered in Hednesford, Staffordshire that Tuesday lunchtime. The young woman’s body had been discovered next to paramedic, 24-year-old Daniel Duffield and following the discovery Staffordshire Police launched a murder investigation, confirming they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths.
In a statement released by her family, they said: ‘A special person has been lost to so many who had the privilege to know her and to those who would have had the pleasure of meeting her in the future. We have lost a special daughter, with her sister, losing a loving companion and soul mate who wanted to share so many more experiences with Lauren’.
Learn more about femicide
- On average, one woman a week is killed by a partner/ex-partner.
- Of the 249 female domestic homicide victims between March 2020 and March 2022, the suspect was male in a staggering 241 cases.
- Women's Aid have found that women are over three times more likely to be killed by a partner than by not wearing a seatbelt
- A Killed Women survey found that only 4% of bereaved family members said their loved one’s killing was not preventable at all
- And Femicide Census found that 53% of the perpetrators of femicide in 2020 had a history of violence to women
Wendy Francis, 61
When ‘much loved’ 61-year-old Wendy Francis, was found dead at a property in Haresfield Close, in the Blackpole area of Worcester, friends and family were quick to share the joy this ‘one in a million’ woman had brought into their lives.
For two decades Wendy had worked at the Gwillams Farm Shop and became friends with the staff at nearby The Fish Emporium.
‘Her little head used to poke around there, around the door, and she would take the mick out of us,’ her friend Carole Wilde said at the time, while another described how easily Wendy could have them in giggles. ‘That is Wendy, our Wendy,’ she added.
Wendy, who had been considering moving abroad with husband Steve after a cancer battle, was murdered by 51-year-old Damian Homer, the partner of her daughter Stacey.
She had gone to her home after being alerted by her daughter, who had seen Homer arming himself with a knife. There he began to attack Stacey, then turned his attention to Wendy, stabbing her to death.
Her last words were to say, ‘I love you’ to her five year old grandson who was watching from the stairs.
In a tribute to Wendy, her sister Karen said, ‘she would cook roast dinners for them every week. She would look after the kids, she was the perfect grandma.’
Homer was sentenced to life in jail after admitting murder and attempted murder. Reading her victim impact statement to the court, daughter Stacey said she would ‘never, ever be the same’, adding that she loved her mother ‘beyond words’.
Jillian Hughes, 56
Jillian Hughes stepped onto a ferry for a family holiday to the Isle of Man and never came home.
As a woman who ‘thrived for life’, hers was cut short after just one day of the Easter trip. Following a ‘jovial’ afternoon, things turned sour when an altercation occurred and as Jillian stepped in to try and stop it, she was killed almost instantly by one single punch from her husband, John Meadows.
During his trial the court heard he had previous convictions for violent offences and had been cautioned for battery against Ms Hughes in 2017.
A mum and grandmother, her family say they will never come to terms with what happened to ‘our Jill’, who they lovingly described as a ‘happy, sarcastic, hardworking and passionate person’.
Meadows, 53, was jailed for five years and eight months.
Rachel McDaid, 53
Beautiful, selfless and strong. Those are the words used to describe 53-year-old Rachel McDaid by her family, while friends called her ‘a precious, well loved soul’.
A single mother to three boys, Rachel was said to put ‘100% into motherhood’ and adored her sons.
Having split from her husband, Michael, the couple lived separately, although her ex would sometimes visit Rachel’s home in Eastwood, Nottingham, to see the boys or pick up his tools. It was during one visit – when McDaid knew his former wife would be alone – that he strangled her to death in a premeditated plan.
Following her murder, for which McDaid was sentenced to life in prison, Rachel’s friend Catherine set up a fundraising page, which has raised over £26,000 to date, to make sure her children were cared for.
She wrote: ‘We, her friends, know that the one thing she would have wanted is for us to look after her boys. And so we are asking for you to dig deep to support them in the coming weeks and months, so we can ease their burden in a small way.’
What to do if a loved one is at risk from domestic abuse
If you feel that it’s safe, approaching them gently and considerately may be enough to encourage someone to speak out. Otherwise, reminding them of charities like Women’s Aid and Refuge might help them seek advice.
Ultimately, there are a multitude of ways you can help.
- Listen: Try active listening, where you really tune into what the other person is saying without bombarding them with questions. They may not feel comfortable talking about the abuse directly yet.
- Don’t judge: It’s easy to fall into the trap of being critical, either towards the abuser or the victim for apparently ‘choosing’ to stay in the relationship. Avoid being negative about their partner – understand that your friend or relative may still love them, whatever your own point of view.
- Believe: Avoid phrases like, ‘But they’ve always been so nice to me’ or ‘I can’t imagine them doing that’. Take in what your loved one is telling you with an open mind and reassure them that you are there for them.
- Support: Acknowledging domestic abuse is a process. Offering advice on what constitutes abuse or sharing details for helplines, as long as it is safe to do so, gives your friend or relative the time and space they need to come to terms with what’s happening and decide what – if any – action they want to take.
- Plan: If your loved one feels ready to leave a domestically abusive situation, you can help. Research non-local taxi numbers and transport timetables, or provide items needed in an emergency bag. You might also consider creating a safe word between you and your loved one that signals that they need help, and work out how you are going to call for support.
Remember: Support is out there, however you are involved, and you are not alone.
Read more here
Carol Matthews, 73
When Carol was 49 she was diagnosed with a life changing condition called cauda equina syndrome. Causing irreparable damage to the nerves in her spinal cord, she was left paraplegic and in a wheelchair.
Although her husband Peter cared for her, Carol was always known to be ‘fiercely independent’ and an ‘extrovert’ person. The pensioner saw value in her life, no matter how frail her health may have been.
However, one spring day, as Carol lay in bed in their Weston Coyney home in Staffordshire, her husband of 56 years, decided to end his wife’s life in a bid to ‘put her out of her misery’.
Carol, 73, didn’t want to die.
In fact, she begged her husband not to smother her with a pillow and despite her ill health, even tried to fight him off. Carol’s desire to live was even noted at 80-year-old Matthews’ trial – where he was eventually sentenced to 10 years in prison – with the judge pointing out that Carol saw the quality in her life and wanted it to continue.
Tara Kershaw, 33
33-year-old Tara had three sisters and together they shared ‘dreams, laughter, and an unbreakable bond’. However, in January this year their relationship was shattered when Tara’s partner stole her life.
She had been trying to get her life back on track after struggling with an alcohol addiction, and the mum-of two from Great Yarmouth was described by her sisters as an amazing mum who ‘would always put her children first’.
Tara, who was said to have craved ‘warmth, human affection and love’, had been in a volatile relationship with Adam Barnard, 41, for about a year and had made several reports to the police about him for non-fatal strangulation. But her sister Zoe said she was ‘never taken seriously’.
On 20 January, Barnard – who had a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a girl under 13 – went to the police station and told officers he thought he had killed his partner.
It was discovered that he had strangled Tara to death the day before, just hours after he had been arrested for attacking her and then released. Tara’s killer was jailed for life with a minimum term of 19 years.
Sarah Mayhew, 38
In a faded picture posted on an ‘in memoriam’ site sits a little girl with a cheeky grin. Above it reads the caption: ‘RIP Cuz’, in tribute to the child who would grow up to be Sarah Mayhew, a social butterfly who loved being surrounded by friends.
Sarah’s remains were discovered on March 8 in Rowdown Fields, South London. Among the many floral tributes and photos left near the scene one card read: ‘Always in our thoughts.’
As further thoughts and messages were posted online, alongside the photo of Sarah as a child, there were many of her out with friends – a smile always on her face as they posed happily for the camera.
Sarah’s death has left ‘a void’ in the life of her family and many friends.
Steven Sansom, 45 – who had previously been convicted of murder in 1999 – has admitted murdering her and perverting the course of justice. His girlfriend Gemma Watts, 49, also pleaded guilty to murder and perverting the course of justice.
Alison McLaughlin, 53
When Alison McLaughlin’s daughter Robyn gave birth to a little girl called Alilynne on 20 December, she described it as the ‘best Christmas present ever’.
Just a few weeks earlier, Alison, 53, and husband Neil, who lived in Greenock, had celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. In the late afternoon of January 5, just over a fortnight after becoming grandparents, Neil stabbed his wife to death, then took his own life.
Among the Facebook tributes for shop assistant Alison, one said: ‘Robyn I know will be lost without you… she was your world and you hers until Alilynne was born. I only hope Alilynne can help heal the gapping hole you have left.’
Alison’s death was treated as murder while her husband’s was treated as non-suspicious.
Barbara Nomakhosi, 35
A ‘shining example of kindness, selflessness, and humility’ was how one person described Barbara Nomakhosi, who worked as a carer and was known to some as Barbs.
Her family said the 35-year-old was ‘a caring and hard-working person. She was so thoughtful and always checking up on her family and friends.’
Meanwhile, another who knew Barbara left an online tribute saying that she was their ‘inspiration’ because of the way she ‘kept pushing on learning and getting ahead. You encouraged me not to give up.’
Barbara’s body was found by her housemate in their Bury home on September 6. Police identified the suspect involved in her death as her husband, Molifi Elvis Mosia, 40. He died in a fatal collision between a HGV and a pedestrian on the M65 that same evening.
Learn more about Killed Women
Killed Women is an organisation and network for the bereaved families of women who were killed by men, and they're campaigning for change.
Killed Women want to change the perception that these deaths and injustices are unavoidable tragedies to be expected and accepted. They're campaigning to:
- Help protect more women from these most extreme forms of violence
- Get justice for those who have lost their lives at the hands of men
- Improve the support and rights of the bereaved families left behind, especially for children
If you are a bereaved relative of a woman who has been killed by a man, you can reach out to Killed Women on info@killedwomen.org. To find out more about the organisation, click here.
Tia Simmonds, 32
When Tia’s father addressed the court as her murderer was sentenced, he told the room: ‘My daughter Tia was an incredible woman. She made me proud every day with all she accomplished.
‘She was a strong, determined woman, a business owner, but best of all, a mother to my beautiful grandchildren who have been left without a mother.’
32-year-old Tia, who lived in Forest Hill, ran a childminding business and was described as having a heart of gold. She was a woman in the ‘prime of her life’ with four adoring children.
But she was also deeply unhappy in her marriage and confided in friends that she wanted to leave it. Tragically, it was an escape she would never get to make, as on New Year’s Day, her husband Shane Simmonds, drugged Tia and stabbed her to death.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 32 years after pleading guilty to Tia’s murder and two counts of rape of a different woman.
Following the sentencing, Tia’s father added: ‘Tia will be remembered as the person she is, and you will be remembered as nothing.’
Pauline Sweeney, 50
According to the children of Pauline Sweeney, anyone who met their mother had a story to tell. ’She made friends and memories everywhere she went’, they said.
A mother of seven, Pauline was a strong woman with the ‘kindest heart’ who ‘wouldn’t let anything bring her down’. Despite whatever she was facing, she ‘always had a smile on her face.’
On 20 March, Pauline was found at her Coventry home with stab wounds and died at the scene. She had been killed by her ex-partner William Brady, 57, who was jailed for a minimum of 19 years.
In a touching tribute from her children following the sentencing of Brady, they said: ‘Nobody quite compares to your mother, and we are so grateful she was ours.’