Woman who killed neighbour in vile attack using broken bottles, scissors and an ashtray jailed for life
A woman has been jailed for life after brutally murdering her neighbour in a vile attack using scissors, broken bottles and an ashtray.
Carol Campling, 39, initially claimed she found the lifeless body of her neighbour, 48-year-old Mark Smith inside a flat on Warren Road in Chingford.
The court heard that at 06:45hrs on 15 February 2018, Campling attended Chingford police station to report that she had found the lifeless body of a man in a neighbour’s flat at a block on Warren Road.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service attended Garenne Court and found Smith suffering from multiple injuries inside a flat. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later.
An investigation was launched by the Met Police’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, and Campling was arrested later that day.
Despite her denial, Campling was found guilty of murdering 48-year-old Mark Smith following a trial at the Old Bailey which concluded on Friday, 7 June.
On Friday, 21 June, she was sentenced to life in prison, to serve a minimum of 17 years.
A post-mortem examination took place at East Ham Mortuary on 17 February 2018, and gave Mark’s cause of death as multiple injuries.
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Detective Inspector John Marriott, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “Campling launched a vicious attack on Mark with broken bottles, scissors and an ashtray before leaving him to die.
“She has always failed to own up to her actions but will now have a long time in prison to think about the consequences of what she did that night.
“This is an awful case in which drug use and consumption of extremely excessive quantities of alcohol by Campling and the victim were a significant factor.
"Our thoughts remain with the family of Mark at this difficult time."
Robert Edwin Parsons, 64, was acquitted of the murder of Mark Smith at the same trial.