An abusive man left his partner to die with more than 100 injuries he inflicted over the course of several days while she lay trapped bed-bound in his house.
Tony Devenport, 57, murdered 41-year-old Stephanie Blundell last July at the home they shared in Canal Street, Chester.
Mrs Blundell’s heavily bruised and beaten body was found sprawled on a mattress by her father Philip Blundell, who told the city’s crown court the sight ‘will stay with me for the rest of my life’.
He added: ‘The thought that she died alone in pain with nobody to comfort her haunts me every day.’
Devenport was found guilty of murder earlier this week and was jailed for life today with a minimum term of 22 years.
Judge Mr Justice Steyn told him: ‘Stephanie Blundell died on the morning of July 20, 2025, as a result of fierce, repeated and sustained assaults inflicted by you over the preceding day or two.
‘Her father had the most terrible experience a parent can face of visiting her shortly after midday on that Sunday, only to discover that his beloved daughter lay dead, with the marks of the severe beatings you had meted out abundantly clear.’
She added: ‘She always saw the good in people, including you, never giving up on them. She had an enormous capacity to love and a bright smile that could light up a room.’
Jurors heard Devenport was controlling and coercive towards Ms Blundell.
Despite living together for two years Mrs Blundell did not have her own key to their home and Devenport kept her bank card in his wallet.
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Devenport was arrested on suspicion of assaulting her 10 days before she died.
But he breached his bail conditions ‘within minutes’ by calling her phone and she ‘never left’ his house again after he called a taxi to pick her up.
Between July 10 and 20, Ms Blundell, who had acute pancreatitis and alcoholic ketoacidosis, was bed-bound with ‘no means of contacting anyone’.
Rather than look after her, Devenport bought more than 12 litres of vodka and 72 cans of beer.
The judge said that evidence showed Devenport strangled Ms Blundell twice in the day or two before her death and beat her causing significant injuries to her brain.
Mrs Justice Steyn said Ms Blundell was ‘bound to be pleading with you for help’ in the days before her death, but he only gave her alcohol and ice lollies.
She told him: ‘As a result of your actions, Stephanie would have been in pain and fear and you kept her there, offering little but vodka.’
Mrs Blundell died from multiple injuries inflicted upon her, exacerbated by the effects of chronic alcoholism, a post-mortem examination found.
In a statement released after the sentencing, Ms Blundell’s family said: ‘Steph was, without question, one of the most radiant souls you could ever hope to meet.
‘She was kind-hearted, quick-witted and effortlessly stylish. Her warmth and compassion have been evident throughout this trial and that brings us some comfort that her true loving nature has been seen by so many.’
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