Killer told to 'burn in hell' as he's jailed for stabbing woman 'over nothing'

A killer who stabbed a woman to death over 'nothing' in a drunken rage was told to 'burn in hell' and 'rot' as he was jailed. Pablo Hoad stabbed Shannon Stanley twice in the neck in the kitchen following an argument at her flat in Mount Pleasant, Small Heath shortly after midnight on May 10 last year.

The 29-year-old then fled the scene before calling 999 and telling the operator 'I'm the perpetrator'. But he subsequently went on to lie that he had acted in self-defence. Ms Stanley, aged 27, died at the scene.

Following a trial Hoad was found guilty of manslaughter after being cleared of murder. At Birmingham Crown Court today, Monday, April 15, he was sentenced to 17 years in custody plus an extended four-year licence period after being declared 'dangerous' as defined by law.

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Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: "I am satisfied Ms Stanley didn't confront you with a knife. She was verbally aggressive and threatening to you. You reacted by losing your temper and inflicting wholly disproportionate violence to the threat Ms Stanley presented to you.

"Her threatening behaviour was limited to words and required no force from you in response. You were drunk and lost your temper and in rage inflicted serious violence with a weapon upon Ms Stanley which caused her death."

In a statement Ms Stanley's mother said her 'world has come crashing down' and she could not come to terms with not seeing her daughter again, saying Hoad could have just 'walked away'.

Hoad and his girlfriend had moved in to the same building where Ms Stanley lived a day or two prior to the stabbing. On the evening of May 9 they had been drinking along with Hoad's friend and a male friend of Ms Stanley who Hoad took issue with and accused of being a 'snitch' to the police.

He told the man to leave and he did. Judge Inman said: "Ms Stanley was angry you had told her friend to leave. The argument between you escalated with both of you shouting and swearing at each other.

"Then it descended into violence in which you picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed Ms Stanley repeatedly."

Judge Inman summarised the argument which preceded the violence as being 'over nothing', but acknowledged Ms Stanley had said she would 'slice up everyone in the house'.

Ms Stanley sustained two stab wounds to her neck and further wounds to her face and head. The knife also penetrated her left hand completely in what was described as a defensive injury.

Hoad went back to his previous address in Whitmore Road taking a number of knives with him. He called 999 and said: "I'm the perpetrator, not the victim."

He added: "Someone just attacked me and I had to look after myself. I understand swinging a knife when someone is trying to punch you is wrong in the first place."

In a statement Ms Stanley's mother said: "Shannon was my only daughter. Since losing her my world has come crashing down. I feel pain in the depth of my heart every day which never goes away. I will have to live with that feeling for the rest of my life.

"I am really struggling to come to terms with the fact I will never see my daughter again. You took her life from me. You took her when you could have walked away.

"Shannon was 27 and had her whole life ahead of her. I won't ever see her grow old and have children because of you. Since she was taken I can't sleep. My general health and mental health suffer terribly. I am tormented by what happened to her. I think about her final moments all of the time and think about how scared she must have been and that she knew she was dying."

She described her daughter has 'funny' and 'feisty' but 'kind', adding she was missed by everyone who knew her.

Peter Finnigan, defending, stated Hoad had written a letter expressing remorse, taken a number of courses while in custody and was now drug free. He said: "He didn't have an easy start in life.

"He had a troubled background and troubled home. He left home early on as a teenager and really drifted during the early part of his life. It was not at all easy or straightforward."

Hoad remained silent throughout the hearing and stood with his hands in his pockets as he received his sentence. As he was directed to leave the dock and head down to the cells a member of the public gallery shouted 'burn in hell' and 'rot'.