Killer left partner to die after attacking her at Chester home

A man has been convicted of murdering his partner after inflicting more than 100 injuries on her and leaving her to die in their home. The victim, Stephanie Blundell, was found deceased by her father at their Canal Street residence in Chester on 20 July.

When Philip Blundell went to check on his daughter, he encountered Tony Devenport wandering around the house in a drunken state, repeatedly saying, “I think she’s dead,” according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Despite denying the charge, 57-year-old Devenport was found guilty following a 16-day trial at Chester Crown Court. Sentencing is scheduled for Friday at the same court.

The trial revealed that Stephanie, 41, was discovered upstairs lying on a blood-soaked mattress, with extensive bruising covering her face and body. The post-mortem examination uncovered 102 injuries, including brain trauma, fractures typically associated with strangulation or mechanical asphyxiation, and severe facial bruising. Devenport was arrested shortly after the discovery.

The couple had met about a year prior while both were receiving support for alcohol addiction. Police investigations indicated Stephanie had remained inside the house for approximately ten days before her death, during which time Devenport reportedly fed her mostly alcohol and ice lollies. Detective Inspector Andrea Price commented on the case, stating, “Stephanie’s family described her as a fun-loving, caring, beautiful girl, and my thoughts are with them as they continue to come to terms with such a loss.” She added, “No parent should ever have to go through the pain of losing a child, nor should they have to sit and relive that trauma by way of a trial. Devenport was a coward, he has shown no remorse for his actions and throughout the investigation he has refused to admit what he did.”

Andrew Madden from the CPS described the case as deeply tragic, noting Stephanie was “a young, talented woman who had a successful life ahead of her.” He acknowledged that during the trial, Devenport admitted to slapping Stephanie two or three times excessively but failed to explain the extensive injuries. Madden highlighted that these injuries included “traumatic, recently inflicted brain injuries, fractures to both thyroid horns, often associated with strangulation or mechanical asphyxiation, and severe facial bruising.” Devenport claimed Stephanie died “peacefully” due to her alcohol problems, but the prosecution presented photographic evidence to refute his version of events. Madden further explained, “Despite Stephanie’s condition, he did nothing to obtain help and pretended that moments before her father arrived, he was attempting to resuscitate her, even though she was clearly dead.” He concluded, “The Crown Prosecution Service said that, in drink and in drugs, he killed her when he lost his temper. Today, the jury has agreed.

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