New £20k reward over mother's murder in Harlow in 2003

A £20,000 reward has been issued over the suspected murder of a mother-of-three 20 years ago.

Beverley Brinkley was attacked on a communal stairwell outside a flat in The Stow, Harlow, in Essex, on 2 February 2003.

The 35-year-old sustained serious head injuries and died in hospital four days later.

Her daughter Simone Brinkley said it "scares me" that her killer could still be alive.

"Sometimes it scares me because I don't know whether this person speaks to me, comes over to me, hugs me, pretends they are my mum's friend," she said.

"I don't know if this person follows me on social media. I don't know who this person is and it affects me every day."

The reward from the charity Crimestoppers, independent of Essex Police, has been set aside for any anonymously given information that leads to the arrest and successful conviction of those responsible.

A witness previously reported seeing two men attacking her and escaping through the car park behind the flats.

Police said one was described as white, fairly short, of stocky build and aged in his late 30s to early 40s. He had dark wavy hair with a cropped style cut into the back of the neck and dark stubble.

The second man was described as white, taller and aged in his 20s to early 30s. He had short blonde hair, was of stocky build and had long legs.

Four people were arrested over her death but released without charge.

Ms Brinkley remembered seeing her mother in hospital with "tubes going into her brain" and only recognised her because of her tattoos.

"I was speaking to her but she couldn't speak to me back and it literally broke me," she said.

Beverley Brinkley's brother, Freddie Brinkley, said: "Twenty years on, we still think of her every day... we really want whoever has done this to be caught."

Det Ch Insp Greg Wood said: "We know loyalties change and I am convinced somebody in the Harlow area knows who is responsible."

The Brinkley family spoke to the BBC from Playhouse Square, where the Knife Angel sculpture, by artist Alfie Bradley, was being hosted for the month of September.

Melanie Hopwood's son Tommy Jones was stabbed to death on 31 August 2006 and no-one has been convicted over his death.

"Put down the weapons, stop the violence, we don't need to be like this, it ruins everyone's lives, including [the perpetrators'] lives," said Ms Hopwood, founder of the Tommy Jones Project charity.

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