A killer who stabbed a ‘devoted’ mother to death with a knife used to cut the cake at a child’s birthday party was jailed for at least 22 years. Hope Rowe, 33, hid the blade in her handbag before murdering Charlotte Lawlor, 31, in Stepney Green, east London on September 15.
Mother-of-two Rowe knifed Ms Lawlor in the chest and then continued stabbing at her as she lay dying in a pool of blood. London Ambulance Service attended but Ms Lawlor was pronounced dead at the scene. Jurors were shown doorbell camera footage and CCTV from a bus tracking Rowe’s movements after she fled the party.
Bodyworn police footage showed Rowe, wearing a green puffer jacket, with her head in her hands as she asked an officer at Bethnal Green Police Station: “Murder?” She then added: “Is it attempted murder, or murder?”
Rowe denied murder but was found guilty by a jury at Inner London Crown Court. She had admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, citing her mental health condition and loss of control.
Her boyfriend, mixed martial arts expert Leigh Holder, 37 — who has a distinctive rose tattoo on his neck — was convicted of perverting the course of justice after driving Rowe away from the scene and helping dispose of the knife, which has never been recovered.
Judge Freya Newbery sentenced Rowe to life in prison, with a minimum term of 22 years. Holder, who has previous convictions for violence, including a nine-year sentence for wounding with intent, was jailed for 16 months.
Prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC said there had been a “verbal disagreement at the party,” during which Rowe indicated she was looking for a physical confrontation.
Ms Newell said CCTV showed Rowe “agitated and angry” outside the venue before the stabbing. She continued: “She produced the knife from her bag. She was ranting and raving in the foyer.”
Holder attempted to calm her down, and she briefly sat in his Range Rover parked nearby. But moments later, she emerged with the knife at her side, took Ms Lawlor by surprise, and stabbed her in the chest.
Ms Newell said: “She ran after Charlotte and continued to stab at her as she lay in a pool of blood.”
In her closing speech, Ms Newell told jurors: “From the moment Rowe and Holder left the scene without a backward glance at the dead woman, they both knew Rowe had stabbed and likely killed Charlotte Lawlor.
“Yet they were not concerned for the victim of that attack. Their concern was for themselves, and to evade, to whatever extent possible, taking responsibility for her actions.”
In a voicemail accidentally recorded on Rowe’s phone, Holder told her: “You absolute idiot. You killed her, you f—ing idiot.”
Rowe replied: “Good.”
Ms Newell said: “The messages tell the unvarnished truth that she seeks to twist. She was pleased when she thought she had killed Charlotte Lawlor, and he wanted her to get away with it.”
Rowe claimed she suffers from a personality disorder which caused her to lose control. She also alleged Ms Lawlor had threatened her, prompting the attack.
Ms Newell said: “While her personality disorder may mean that she loses her temper more easily than others, that doesn’t mean that any reasonable person would stab someone in the same circumstances. We suggest that no reasonable person would do so.
“The Crown suggest that Hope Rowe lied and lied about the threats to her to justify or to get away with her crime.
“She didn’t lose control when she inflicted the fatal stab wound. She acted quite purposely.
“She quite purposely wanted to hurt someone she didn’t like. It appears that she had a pre-existing, baseless grudge against Charlotte Lawlor. The only evidence of any threats from Charlotte Lawlor come from Hope Rowe herself, and she has every reason to lie.”
A 15-year-old witness, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court he tried to intervene outside the party.
He said: “She [Ms Lawlor] starts coughing up blood. My cousin came down to see what had happened. I put her on her side. I was holding her head. I saw blood on the floor. People were shouting.”
He told jurors he saw Rowe holding a knife. He said: “It had a red handle. It was like a kitchen knife. “She collapsed in front of the door. She wasn’t speaking.”
The witness added: “I don’t know what they were saying but they were both shouting at each other. I got in between. They were not touching each other at that point.”
He said Rowe stabbed Ms Lawlor “about three times.”
Hundreds of mourners had attended the “devoted” mother’s funeral at Islington and St Pancras Cemetery last October.
Ms Newell read a series of victim impact statements to the court.
Charlotte’s grandmother, Sharon John, said: “Since Charlotte’s death our entire family has been devastated beyond words.
“I still find myself WhatsApping her.
“I find comfort in believing Charlotte is watching over us. She was the heart of our family.”
Charlotte’s son compiled a remembrance video with photos of them together. A recording was played in court: “Love you mum. I’m gonna miss you. I’m always gonna remember you and never forget you.”
Ms Newell appeared close to tears and said: “I’m so sorry,” before Judge Newbery briefly adjourned the hearing.
Sentencing Rowe, Judge Newbery said: “You took her from her family and first and foremost from her son.
“His loss is unquantifiable. His loss was presented through his remembrance video which was shown in court. That is demonstrably how truly tragic his loss is.
“The light has gone out for the whole family, she was such an integral part of the family. Her loss has torn through the heart of the family.”
The judge said Rowe had a chance to walk away after an initial confrontation, during which Holder brought her back to his vehicle.
But she returned, knife in hand, and launched the fatal attack.
“You lunged at her chest with considerable force. Her seventh rib was breached — that was the fatal blow,” the judge said.
“The knife had been used to cut the birthday cake.”
Rowe, of Piazza Walk, Whitechapel, denied murder but was convicted. Holder, also of Piazza Walk, denied perverting the course of justice but was also found guilty.
Detective Sergeant Dean Musgrove, from the Met’s Specialist Crime North unit, said: “Hope Rowe launched a brutal attack on Charlotte Lawlor at what should have been a joyous occasion.
“Our thoughts are with the victim’s family and friends, who will have to contend not only with the loss of a loved one, but with the trauma of having witnessed the killing.
“As if the killing was not senseless enough, Rowe then tried to deceive investigators, disposing of the knife before turning herself in. It still has not been found to this day, and both Rowe and her partner were incriminated by a voicemail accidentally recorded on Rowe’s phone.”
In a statement, Ms Lawlor’s parents said: “We are happy with the verdict. We would like to thank the jury for their attention during the trial.
“The family will never get over the loss and murder of Charlotte. It has destroyed us, leaving a gaping hole.
“Charlotte’s son has been left without a mum, and siblings without their older sister and best friend. Charlotte brought light to everyone’s life.”
