A MAN has been jailed for life for an ‘horrendous’ attack which saw a mother killed in her Worcester home.
25-year-old Charles Byrne was sentenced to life imprisonment at Worcester Crown Court on Friday (March 25) with a minimum tariff of 16 years for the manslaughter of his former partner, 28-year-old Christina Rowe.
He was also sentenced to 13 years, six months, to run concurrently, for the attempted murder of another person who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Both incidents occurred during the early hours of 10 February 2021.
In passing sentence Justice Edward Pepperall QC gave direction that initially Byrne would continue to be detained at a high security hospital under the Mental Health Act for treatment.
Ms Rowe’s body was found in the River Severn near Diglis footbridge the same day.
Byrne, formerly of Waterworks Road but now a patient at a high-security hospital, previously pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder but guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility at his trial in June 2021.
He further pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of second person at a subsequent hearing in December 2021.
Det Insp Mark Walters said: “This was a horrendous attack resulting in the death of a young woman while in her own home and potential fatal injuries being caused to another person.
“The court has sentenced Charles Byrne accordingly, taking in to consideration all of the surrounding circumstances.
“Our thoughts continue to remain with the family and friends of Christina and I hope that this judgement will provide them with some sense of closure going forward.”
