CCTV footage has shown a woman who stabbed her mother's neighbour to death walking to and from a pub with him hours before she killed him. Rebecca Press attacked Marc Ash, her mother's 'best friend', with a three-inch knife and left him with fatal injuries, Wales Online reports.
The 31-year-old woman pleaded guilty last week to his murder at Cardiff Crown Court and was subsequently handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years. Press initially denied the crime and claimed she acted out of self defence but the defendant changed her plea during the trial.
Mr Ash was killed on July 17 last year at Press's mother's flat in New Tredegar, Caerphilly. The woman had been drinking and taking Valium the day before and became erratic when her brother Gavin Press said her ex-boyfriend had been seeing another woman.
She then took a knife from her mother's kitchen drawer and threatened to stab her brother before Mr Ash intervened in an attempt to calm the situation. Press then struck him in the heart with the knife, leaving him with fatal injuries.
Meanwhile, Press told her mother “I have stabbed your f****** best friend" before running from the flat and hiding in a bush. She was later arrested and pretended she didn't know what was going on saying, “Have I murdered someone?”.
Earlier in the day, Press and Mr Ash had been at New Tredegar Rugby Club and the Dynevor Arms pubs and were seen chatting and appearing to have a 'good time'. Press later became angry at the Dynevor Arms when she got stuck in a toilet cubicle and blamed a barmaid for locking her in the toilet.
After the incident, Gavin Press was filmed by police wearing body worn cameras at his mother's flat in Long Row as he told police what had happened. When police entered and asked what was going on, Mr Press said: “It started off yeah. My sister did have a go at Marc and Marc just told her ‘Listen, why you speaking to me like that for, I took you and your mother out earlier and had a nice day... Marc is just a next door neighbour…'”
Mr Press showed officers the murder weapon which had a silver blade and a 'little black handle' and when the officer asked “Did you see her stab him?”, Mr Press replied 'Yeah'.
He added: "But on the last occasion, that was when he got stabbed, literally. She came up at me with a knife and was saying to Marc like that and went like that (motions with arm) in his chest…
“I haven’t got a phone though right. I said ‘Mum ring 999, ambulance.”
Following the hearing, Millie Davies of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Rebecca Press killed Marc Ash, her mother’s neighbour and best friend, in a senseless act of gratuitous violence whilst under the influence of drink and drugs. During the course of the evidence being presented to the jury by the CPS, Press decided to change her plea, pleading guilty to murder.
“Marc Ash was simply trying to help a friend in distress, a decision which tragically cost him his life. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends.”
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