Louth double murder trial (Feb 1): Jury retires to consider their verdicts

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 May 31 last year.

Twelve jurors this morning (Tuesday) began their deliberations after hearing over two weeks of evidence at Lincoln Crown Court.

The trial judge, Mr Justice Pepperall, gave the jury a list of questions to help with their deliberations and urged them to reach unanimous verdicts on the two murder charges faced by Boulton.

Mr Justice Pepperall told the jury they needed to reach verdicts on both charges, and reminded them of the psychiatric evidence in the case.

Experts for the defence and prosecution agree that Boulton was suffering from a dissocial personality disorder.

The defence argue Boulton’s personality disorder caused him to lose control and carry out the killings.

But the prosecution say Boulton was still capable of carefully planning the murders.

The jury heard Boulton carried out the killings after walking 28 miles from his hostel in Alexandra Road, Skegness.

Boulton then led police on a manhunt until the following day, burgling a cottage where he stole alcohol and food, and assaulting an off-duty police officer in the leg in the Hubbard’s Hills area of Louth.

He was tasered and arrested at a nearby farm in Hallington after trying to get into two cars and encouraging armed officers to shoot him.