Two women have appeared in court accused of the murder of a businesswoman who was found stabbed to death at her home in Lancashire.
Sarah Williams and Katrina Walsh were charged with the murder of company director Sadie Hartley, 60, who postmortem results showed, suffered a series of knife wounds to her arms and hands before being repeatedly stabbed in the body.
Both defendants appeared via videolink at Preston crown court – Williams, 34, from Styal prison in Greater Manchester, and Walsh, 55, from New Hall prison in Wakefield.
Walsh’s appearance was brief as she collapsed on to the floor and began to hyperventilate as the video screen cut out. Her solicitor, Mark Stuart, said: “She is vulnerable.”
Judge Mark Brown ordered that Walsh be taken back to the wing and the hearing was held in her absence. Meanwhile, Williams, dressed in navy blue top with her hair tied back, appeared composed and answered all questions clearly.
Another hearing, where the defendants are expected to enter pleas, will be held on 4 May at the same court. Hartley, a mother of two from Helmshore, Lancashire, ran her own medical communications business, Hartley Taylor, based in Knutsford, Cheshire. She was last seen alive at a conference in Manchester with a colleague on 14 January.
She was in contact with a friend and work colleague at about 7.30pm, but then stopped answering emails. Her body was discovered the following day at her home.
