Ellie Wain is an 18 year old Coventry woman who in December 2020 was convicted of murdering her boyfriend, Kieran Brown. Ellie says that Kieran was abusive to her over a 4 year period, and she stabbed him after he threatened to kick her door down and then pushed her to the floor and punched her.
I'm in regular contact with Ellie and her family so I won't pretend to be unbiased, I believe that manslaughter would have been a fairer verdict. I do think there are a number of legal issues regarding the trial which should be addressed.
Ellie’s family say they witnessed 4 years of abuse and violence from KB but none of them were called as witnesses in court.
KB broke Ellie’s new boyfriend’s jaw, he was not called as a witness to his violent behaviour.
Ellie did not testify in her own defence, on the advice of her barristers.
Ellie’s barrister ‘offered no evidence’ in her defence, outside of cross examinations and closing remarks.
The trial was held in Coventry, despite it initially being due to be held in nearby Leamington. Both families are local and KB’s family are well known.
A laptop was left unattended in the jury room during their deliberations.
The judge said to the jury that ‘just because KB carried knives, that doesn’t mean he would have used them’, despite texts that were read out in court between KB and his mother in which he said he would use knives if he had to and was prepared to go to prison.
The judge did not allow into evidence Ellie’s history of self-harm and suicide attempts.
There is a lot more, but that's to start with. I don't believe this is a safe murder conviction.
