Moment killer yoga teacher, 53, was arrested covered in blood - as she is ... trends now
A yoga teacher has been jailed for life for murdering her ex-police officer lodger - two decades after he killed his wife - after shocking footage of her being arrested while covered in blood was shown to the court.
Dawn Lewis, 53, was convicted of stabbing Glenn Richards, 61, to death at her home as she wanted to evict him and will now serve at least 20 years behind bars.
The trial heard Mr Richards moved to Glastonbury after being released from prison for killing his former wife in 2011. She moved in with the defendant in August last year but prosecutors heard they would often argue and he would complain about her noise.
Giving evidence during her trial, Lewis claimed she feared for her life during a 'struggle' with the knife and claims he had tried to kill her. But after nearly nine hours of deliberations, the jury rejected her claim that she was only defending herself when she carried out the fatal stabbing in April.
Before sentencing was passed today, a tearful victim impact statement was read out by the victim's son Jamie Richards, who said it brought back horrific memories of what he witnessed as a boy.
Dawn Lewis (left) was convicted of stabbing Glenn Richards (right) to death at her home as she wanted to evict him
Jamie told a court he felt 'robbed of a chance at closure' as he was just weeks away from seeing his dad for the first time since witnessing his mother's bloody death as an 11-year-old back in 2001.
He said: 'In 2001 Glenn Richards killed my mother in front of me and my brother. I was just 11 at the time - that was the last time saw I saw Glenn Richards alive.
'Since Glenn's death I have been taken back 21 year to that scared 11 year old boy unaware of what the future will hold.
'I listened to the details of what Glenn did to my mum and found myself back there in the kitchen, making apple crumble when Glenn burst through the door with a knife screaming 'where is your mother?'
'It brought back everything, a new wave of emotion that left me feeling confused and emotionally exhausted.
'I felt in moments Glenn deserved what happened, but I have my mum's heart and no-one, not even Glenn should have their life taken from them.
'Because of Dawn Lewis, I have had to start another grief process because of the murder of another parent all over again.'
The court previously heard how Mr Richards suffered five large stab wounds, two of which were 'not survivable.' She suffered three cuts to her thigh but one doctor told the trial her injuries 'did not appear to fit the description of the attack' and appeared 'self-inflicted.'
As part of the trial, CCTV footage was shown of the moment Lewis was arrested in her home on April 18 while Mr Richards was 'unconscious' and dying of his injuries.
Bristol Crown Court heard Mr Richards had been convicted of manslaughter due to diminished responsibility in 2002 for the killing of his ex wife.
Prosecutor Eloise Marshall told the jury they must decide if she acted in self-defence as per her emergency call 'or whether her account was a lie to cover a planned attack and set the scene to pretend she'd been acting in self-defence?'
Sentencing her at Bristol Crown Court today, judge William Hart said she had tried to cover up her murder by playing on her fear she could have been another victim.
He said: 'Glenn Richards was jailed for life
