Advertisement

Murder Conviction Over Shampoo Bottle Assault

Murder Conviction Over Shampoo Bottle Assault

A man has been convicted of murder after a 51-year-old woman was found with a shampoo bottle inside her following a "perverted sexual assault".

Daniel McBride was found guilty at Winchester Crown Court of killing Majella Lynch, who was discovered by carers at her Southampton home suffering "severe abdominal pain" in April.

Doctors who examined her found the full 400ml bottle of shampoo she had been given by support workers to help her with her personal hygiene inside her abdomen.

She died two days later of septicaemia and 44-year-old McBride was arrested.

Before the trial at Winchester Crown Court, judge Mr Justice Akenhead warned the jury they may find some details of the case "shocking and distressing" and the case was halted after a juror fainted.

Prosecuting QC William Mousley said McBride had been visiting Ms Lynch's home at the time the injuries would have occurred.

"There was nobody else who could have been responsible for what the prosecution says was a perverted sexual assault," he said.

Mr Mousley said the presence of the bottle would have been "extremely painful" for Ms Lynch, adding she did not tell hospital staff what had happened.

"She was at the very least reluctant to say what had caused this terrible pain, either denying that anything had happened to her or refusing to answer when asked the question," he said.

Detective Chief Inspector Ellie Hurd, of Hampshire Police, said: "On Friday April 18, Daniel McBride carried out a horrific, humiliating and sadistic attack on an extremely vulnerable woman for his own perverted purposes.

"Having invited himself into Maj Lynch's home, he callously inflicted horrendous internal injuries to her, leaving her to die a prolonged and no doubt excruciatingly painful death.

"Daniel McBride has repeatedly lied about what happened that night and showed no remorse for his actions which can only have added to the uncertainty and distress of her friends and family.

"I hope today's verdict and the sentence which follows can provide a degree of satisfaction that some justice has been achieved for Maj."