A ‘monster’, who stalked a pensioner and stabbed her to death on her way home from the supermarket, has been jailed for a minimum of 28 years.
Cameron Davis, 31, stabbed retired civil servant Lorna England, 74, through the heart and neck as she walked home through a park in Exeter after she’d gone to Lidl to buy some flour and to ‘get her 10,000 steps in’.
CCTV footage, shown at the trial, followed him walking out of A&E before buying two bottles of vodka and a kitchen knife from a supermarket.
Cameras then catch Lorna walking through Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter, Devon, where Davis is loitering.
Tragically, their paths cross and Davis carries out the fatal attack in which Lorna was stabbed in the neck and through the heart.
Her bereft widower today told a court how his beloved wife ‘must have been so scared and filled with terror’ in the moments before she was stabbed to death at random by a ‘cowardly, brutal monster.’
Just hours earlier, Davis had been assessed by mental health workers and told them he would ‘kill a random’ if they released him. But he was released from hospital and bought a knife, vodka and sweets before going to the park where he stabbed Mrs England to death.
Afterwards, Davis ‘sauntered’ away, discarding the knife and Mrs England’s phone before going to pubs, drinking and taking cocaine. As he was arrested he told police: ‘I warned you.’
Mrs England’s husband, David, 83, described how they had met 54 years ago and were ‘soul mates’, describing his late wife as, ‘the most wonderful lady in the world.’
Directly addressing his wife’s killer, he said: ‘She must have been so scared and filled with dreadful terror at seeing you with a knife in your hand. I hate to think what she must have gone through and the last thoughts that would have been in her head as she tried to defend herself. It breaks my heart that the last face Lorna saw was yours – a cowardly, brutal monster.’
Her four grandchildren told how she would take them to out on their birthdays and share fish and chips on the seafront, adding: ‘We never even got to say goodbye.’
The killer was told he must serve a minimum of 28 years after being found guilty of the murder, after pleading guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility. The jury, though, found Davis was not suffering from some mental health related psychosis at the time, hence the murder conviction.
During today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Mrs Justice Stacey told Davis: ‘On February 18, you decided to kill a stranger if you didn’t get your own way. You took your time, selecting a large boning knife from Lidl. You drank vodka, smoked cigarettes and ate sweets.
‘You chose to commit this shocking act to punish the hospital, the mental health services, the police and all the people who had tried to help and support you in anger because you didn’t get what you wanted.’
She had earlier said the ‘awful, awful’ attack had been ‘one of the most shocking and brutal killings…the killing of a member of the public by a total stranger taps into very deep seated human fears.’
On January 23, Davis asked to talk to his support workers because his mental health was deteriorating, claiming he would either hurt himself or someone else.
He was assessed by two psychiatrists on January 28, who both decided he did not need to be sectioned.
Murdered Lorna England’s husband David, 83, who had been with Lorna for 54 years, told Cameron Davis: ‘Hopefully your life will not be an easy one – you will always be labelled a granny killer.
’54 years ago I was privileged to meet and fall in love and marry Lorna – the most wonderful lady in the world.
‘We raised two lovely children together.
‘Lorna was attacked and brutally murdered by Cameron Davis on the afternoon of Saturday 18 February 2023 – and since then my life has never been the same.
‘Lorna decided to walk to the shops as she wanted to achieve her 10,000 steps – not knowing the moment she was going to encounter.
‘She must have been so scared and filled with terror at seeing you with a knife in your hand.
‘I hate to think what she must have gone through and the last thoughts in her head as she tried to defend herself.
‘This constantly plays on my mind, how someone could be so evil.
‘It breaks my heart the last face she saw was yours – a cowardly, brutal monster.
‘How could you do something like this to someone so bright, cheery and positive.
‘She was an incredibly strong and brave lady – always retained a positive and calm attitude with whatever she had to face.
‘Lorna was my guiding light, soulmate and had everything to live for.
‘It haunts me how much pain she would have suffered being brutally stabbed by Cameron Davis.
‘I feel lost and lonely without Lorna by my side.
‘You forever broke the hearts of our family.
‘I feel like I have been sentenced and the one being punished – she gave me purpose to wake up and I have a massive emptiness in my heart without her.
‘All our lives have been utterly destroyed by you Cameron Davis.
‘I have frequent visions and flashbacks and how could a person be so brutal and walk away to visit pubs and having drinks as if nothing happened
‘No punishment you will receive will ever be adequate compared to the pain and torture you inflicted on Lorna, myself and her family.’
Davis called police on 999 at 4.41am the day of Lorna’s murder and threatened to take his own life in a fire at his accommodation unless he was arrested.
Paramedics attended and found Davis sitting on the pavement outside. He threatened to kill someone if he was discharged.
He was taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, where two psychiatrists and an advanced mental health practitioner decided that he did not need to be admitted.
In victim personal statements read to the court, Lorna’s family described her as a devoted family member who kept physically and mentally fit and active.
Chilling bodycam footage recorded as he was arrested shows Davis scream to officers: ‘She didn’t die – please tell me she didn’t die?’
Davis denied murder and admitted manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility but was found guilty on Tuesday after a two week trial at Exeter Crown Court.
At his sentencing hearing today, several members of Lorna’s family read statements about the impact the ‘cowardly’ act has had on ‘hundreds of people.’
Her husband David, 83, who had been with Lorna for 54 years, told Davis: ‘Hopefully your life will not be an easy one – you will always be labelled a granny killer.’
He added: ’54 years ago I was privileged to meet and fall in love and marry Lorna – the most wonderful lady in the world.
‘We raised two lovely children together.
‘Lorna was attacked and brutally murdered by Cameron Davis on the afternoon of Saturday 18 February 2023 – and since then my life has never been the same.
‘Lorna decided to walk to the shops as she wanted to achieve her 10,000 steps – not knowing the moment she was going to encounter.
‘She must have been so scared and filled with terror at seeing you with a knife in your hand.
‘I hate to think what she must have gone through and the last thoughts in her head as she tried to defend herself.
‘This constantly plays on my mind, how someone could be so evil.
‘It breaks my heart the last face she saw was yours – a cowardly, brutal monster.
‘How could you do something like this to someone so bright, cheery and positive.
‘She was an incredibly strong and brave lady – always retained a positive and calm attitude with whatever she had to face.
‘Lorna was my guiding light, soulmate and had everything to live for.
‘It haunts me how much pain she would have suffered being brutally stabbed by Cameron Davis.
‘I feel lost and lonely without Lorna by my side.
‘You forever broke the hearts of our family.
‘I feel like I have been sentenced and the one being punished – she gave me purpose to wake up and I have a massive emptiness in my heart without her.
‘All our lives have been utterly destroyed by you Cameron Davis.
‘I have frequent visions and flashbacks and how could a person be so brutal and walk away to visit pubs and having drinks as if nothing happened
‘No punishment you will receive will ever be adequate compared to the pain and torture you inflicted on Lorna, myself and her family.’
Lorna’s daughter Jackie Baxter told the court in her statement: ‘It torments me how scared she would have been when she encountered you.
‘She must have been terrified and in so much pain.
‘That will haunt me for the rest of my life.
‘You are pure evil.’
Jackie described him as a ‘selfish and sad’ individual that ‘picked on a 74 year old lady.’
She added: ‘She was an innocent stranger to you – you are a monster and a murderer.
‘I will never get over getting over losing my mum in this truly horrific way.
‘The sentence you receive will never ever compare to the ongoing trauma, pain and hurt you have inflicted on me and my family.
‘My family and I will be punished for the rest of our lives.
‘As long as I am still breathing I will fight for you to stay in prison to pay for your crimes and actions.
‘You robbed my mum of her life. You ripped our family apart and broke our hearts.
‘I will never forgive you.’
During today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Mrs Justice Stacey described Lorna as a ‘remarkable and wonderful woman’ and added: ‘Everyone who knew her basked in goodness and light she generated and the love she radiated.
‘I know no punishment you receive will ever compare to the pain you inflicted on Lorna and her family.
‘On February 18 you decided to kill a stranger if you did not get your way.
‘You nurtured a sense of self-pity and revenge for not being given a bed in hospital earlier.
‘You selected a lone female on way home from shops. It was a planned and pre-mediated attack.
‘Her family will never know exactly what happened as you refuse to say.
‘Lorna fought back valiantly. I’m sure she did everything she could to fight you off – but you stabbed her thorough the heart.
‘You callously left her and sauntered off. You spent the rest of the afternoon drinking in various pubs.
‘When arrested you made obscene and offensive remarks about Lorna and tried to blame others for your acts
‘You were able to make a rationale choice, you chose to commit this shocking act to punish the hospital, the mental health team and the police and all people who tried to help and support you in anger as you did not get what you wanted.
‘Your whole focus was on yourself. You tried to blame others – but let me be clear – you were wholly responsible for Lorna’s death and no-one but you was in any way to blame.
‘You planned to kill someone when you were angry when did not get your way.
‘They did not admit you as a patient – after thorough assessments by two very experienced and well qualified physiatrists and mental health professionals, you did not need treatment
‘If you did a bed would have been made available.
‘This was not a resource driven decision but based on clinical need and you did not meet threshold to being sectioned
‘Everyone went above and beyond to support you and show you empathy and kindness.
‘This is not a case of society being failed by police or public services.
‘Only you knew you would carry out the threats made many times before which had previously been empty threats.’
The trial had earlier seen CCTV footage that shows him walking out of A&E before buying two bottles of vodka and a kitchen knife from a supermarket.
Footage also captures Lorna after her shopping trip knowing what fate lay in store.
Meanwhile, Davis is seen loitering in Ludwell Valley Park in Exeter, Devon, and Lorna is later captured on CCTV walking through the same park.
Tragically, their paths cross and Davis carries out the fatal attack in which Lorna was stabbed in the neck and through the heart.
Despite the best efforts of horrified witnesses she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A heartbreaking 999 call was released by police in which a caller tells the operator she saw Lorna and Davis on the path about 100m away from her before witnessing the attack.
The woman – who comforted Lorna on the call – is heard saying: ‘I thought they knew each other, but there was a tussle and I saw her fall to the ground, I then walked towards them because I was worried about her.
‘I spoke to him and I said ‘what have you done?’ and he said ‘she needs help, she’s had a fit or something’.
‘I didn’t see a knife, but she has been cut, she’s got cuts on her hand and she’s been cut on the chest as well.’
A five-hour manhunt was launched, during which time CCTV footage shows Davis drinking in a pub.
He is later captured smoking a cigarette in the street when armed police swoop on him to make the arrest.