Man brutally murdered girlfriend in violent attack at his Chester home

Police have branded the 57-year-old "a coward"

A man has been found guilty of brutally murdering his girlfriend at his home in Chester. Tony Devenport, 57, was found guilty of murdering Stephanie Blundell following a 16-day trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded today, Wednesday 25 February.

At around 12.20pm on Sunday 20 July last year, Cheshire Police were contacted by the father of the victim, who told police that he had found his daughter’s lifeless body at Devenport’s house on Canal Street. Within minutes, officers and paramedics were at the scene.

Sadly, they found the victim dead inside the address. She had visible injuries to her face, neck, and body. Devenport was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

During questioning, he denied being responsible for Stephanie's death. However, a post-mortem later confirmed that the injuries on Stephanie’s body were a result of a sustained and violent assault.

Devenport was charged with Stephanie’s murder and an additional count of manslaughter. Despite his denial, the casefile of evidence stacked against him led a jury to find him guilty of murder.

Following the verdict, Detective Inspector Andrea Price of Cheshire Constabulary’s Major Investigation Team, said: "Though I am pleased with today’s outcome, there are sadly no winners in this case. Stephanie’s family described her as a fun-loving, caring, beautiful girl, and my thoughts are with them today as they continue to come to terms with such a loss.

"No parent should ever have to go through the pain of losing a child, nor should they have to sit and relive that trauma by way of a trial. Devenport was a coward, he has shown no remorse for his actions and throughout the investigation he has refused to admit what he did.

"Thankfully, the case presented in court against him was overwhelming and left the jury with no option but to find him guilty of murder. While nothing will ever bring Stephanie back, I do hope her family can find some comfort in knowing Devenport will now be held accountable for what he’s done."

Devenport is due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Friday 27 February.

DI Price added: “Many victims of domestic abuse suffer in silence, isolated from those closest to them. If one thing can come from Stephanie’s tragic death, it’s encouraging other victims of domestic abuse to come forward and contact us. We treat all reports of domestic abuse extremely seriously and will use all the powers available to us to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”

If you, or someone you know, are a victim of domestic abuse please report it by calling 101 or visiting www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us. In an emergency always call 999.