APPEALS
Having campaigned successfully to help bring justice for my mother in recognising the coercive control she suffered I know my mother's case is not unique.
Emma-Jayne Magson and Farieissia Martin are women who like my mother suffered abuse that was neither properly explored or the mental impact of their abuse recognised in their original trials.
EMMA-JAYNE MAGSON
FARIEISSIA MARTIN
EMMA-JAYNE MAGSON
Emma-Jayne, 23, killed her partner James Knight in March 2016. She has never denied that she inflicted the fatal stab wound which caused his death. She had loved James despite his demeaning and violent behaviour towards her. Emma was convicted of his murder in November 2016 and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The issues at trial were self-defence, lack of intent and loss of control. No psychiatric evidence was advanced on her behalf. Emma did not give evidence.
Emma's conviction was quashed in October and her retrial rejected the evidence put forward by defence counsel Clare Wade QC in support of self-defence and diminished responsibility.
A spokesperson from Justice for Women said:
“Ms Magson told a number of lies following the homicide which may have influenced the jury decision notwithstanding evidence of violence by Knight.
We are very disappointed by the majority jury verdict which flies in the face of the evidence. This case illustrates many of the issues highlighted in our report on women who kill about a public lack of understanding of the dynamics of abusive relationships and the way in which women in abusive relationships tend to be perceived in the criminal justice system."
To learn more about her story please visit the below links:
FARIESSIA MARTIN
Farieissia Martin was 22 when she was convicted of the murder of Kyle Farrell in 2015, and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Martin, who at the time had two small children with Farrell, grabbed a knife when he tried to strangle her.
Farrell’s violence often left Martin in fear of her life, but she was too frightened to call the police in case social services became involved and removed her children. Farrell’s history of violence was not adequately explored during the trial. Justice for Women is campaigning for the case to go to appeal, on the grounds that the evidence of domestic violence was not afforded enough significance during the trial.
Fri’s appeal was heard on 16th and 17th December 2020 and subsequently quashed with a retrial ordered. New evidence was later discovered in the form of photographs taken at the time of Fri’s arrest which clearly showed the bruising to her neck, supporting her account of strangulation. Rather than a retrial, Fri was allowed to plea guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.
Fri was released in December 2021.
To learn more about her story please visit the below links:
