Louth double murder trial (Jan 26): Boulton’s mental health history ‘longstanding and complex’, says psychiatrist

Daniel Boulton, 30, admits the manslaughter of his former girlfriend Bethany Vincent and her son, Darren Henson, but denies their murder.

Ms Vincent and Darren, known to his family as DJ, were both found stabbed to death at their home in High Holme Road, Louth, shortly after 8pm on 31 May.

It is alleged Boulton carried out the murders after walking 28 miles from his hostel in Alexandra Road, Skegness.

Boulton was prevented from seeing Ms Vincent by a restraining order but had continued to contact her and sent over 900 messages on the weekend before the stabbings.

A jury at Lincoln Crown Court heard Boulton’s defence to murder relies on the evidence of a consultant forensic psychiatrist who conducted two interviews with him.

Experts for the defence and prosecution agree that Boulton was suffering from a dissocial personality disorder, but the prosecution argue Boulton was still capable of carefully planning the killings.

The jury have to decide if Boulton was suffering from an abnormality caused by a recognised mental condition which substantially impaired his ability to exercise self control.

Defence psychiatrist Dr Pablo Vandenabeele told the jury there was a history of Boulton having contact with mental health services at various times going back to 2004.

“It is longstanding and complex,” Dr Vandenabeele explained.

Dr Vandenabeele said he spoke to Boulton for four hours and found him both “quite boastful of violence” and lacking in empathy.

“His lack of feeling for others was very pronounced,” Dr Vandenabeele told the jury.

Dr Vandenabeele said Boulton also typically blamed other people for his actions including Ms Vincent, DJ and Darren’s father.

When asked about his childhood years, Boulton told Dr Vandenabeele that he was repeatedly expelled from school and also bullied.

Boulton also described his father as a “football hooligan who drank too much.”

There was also some evidence of mental health issues in other members of Boulton’s family, Dr Vandenabeele said.

And Boulton also admitted to binge drinking from the age of the 13, gambling with sums up to a £1,000 and taking cocaine a few months before the killings.

“He told me he had been suffering from mental health problems most of his life,” Dr Vandenabeele told the jury.

Boulton said he jumped infront of car in 2017, and had been involved in hundreds of fights.

When asked about his employment record, Boulton told Dr Vandenabeele that he began working at the age of 25, and held a variety of short term jobs, including working in an amusement arcade, but had last worked in 2019.

Boulton described his relationship with Ms Vincent as “difficult”, and said she was not clear about the future of their relationship.

The trial continues.