Woman who stabbed man to death loses murder appeal

A woman who said she believed she may have been sexually assaulted by a man she stabbed to death has had an appeal against her murder conviction dismissed.

Learna Cheng, 27, known as Lea-Rose, stabbed Dylan Bacon in her flat in Old Swan, Liverpool, on 14 March, 2022 after he followed her home from the pub.

At her trial she claimed she might have "flipped" because the 39-year-old had attacked her, but had no memory of anything happening.

Cheng's legal team had been granted leave to appeal but a panel of judges at the Court of Appeal upheld her conviction on Friday.

Harriet Wistrich, director of Centre for Women’s Justice, said: "This judgment illustrates how the defence of loss of control does not serve women who kill in circumstances where they are threatened with male violence.

"Instead, most Court of Appeal decisions on loss of control have extended the defence to perpetrators of femicide.

"The relatively new defence was introduced to replace provocation widely seen as favouring men who explode in anger over women who respond out of fear of serious violence.

"This case shows how the law still does not work for women and more radical reform is needed."

Trial judge Neil Flewitt KC, who sentenced Cheng at Liverpool Crown Court last year, said he did not believe Cheng had no memory of the fatal attack and had tried to "blacken Mr Bacon's character" to "avoid responsibility" for her crime.

He told her: "I strongly suspect, although only you know, that something happened in that flat to cause you to lose your temper, probably affected by the alcohol that you had drunk, and then to pick up a knife and repeatedly stab Dylan Bacon."

Following the case, Mr Bacon's family said he was "loved by everyone in Old Swan", adding: "You couldn't think about the Swan without Dylan coming to mind."

During the trial, the jury heard she had been drinking with her grandfather in the Old Swan pub when Mr Bacon came over and joined them at their table, where the group appeared to be getting on well.

Cheng was recorded on CCTV taking a sip of Mr Bacon's drink, and a short time later became unwell and was seen to vomit on to the table, before being escorted by her grandfather back to his nearby flat.

Mr Bacon also left and went to a different pub, The Millfield, which had a view of Cheng's grandfather's flat.

CCTV showed Cheng leaving the flat and heading to her own home a couple of streets away, at which point Mr Bacon walked after her, a few paces behind.

About 90 minutes later, cameras outside Cheng's flat captured the pair going inside.

Two hours later, Mr Bacon staggered out, having suffered multiple stab wounds.

The trial was told Mr Bacon's semen was found on Cheng’s clothing and her bra had been damaged.

Cheng was jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years in prison.

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