Man found guilty of murdering 20 year old woman in Kirkby

A man has been found guilty for the murder of 20-year-old Courtney Bourne just before Christmas in Kirkby last year.

On the evening of Friday 23 December, police received a report of a disturbance inside a property on Quarry Green in Northwood.

20-year-old Courtney Bourne was taken to hospital but despite the efforts of emergency workers, she was sadly pronounced deceased.

A post-mortem recorded her death by mechanical asphyxiation by strangulation or suffocation.

On Christmas Day (25 December), detectives charged Liam Cain, 19 years, of Skipton Road, Anfield with her murder.

A trial by jury commenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday 10 July were Cain pleaded not guilty.

Today, Wednesday 19 July, a jury found guilty of Courtney’s murder.

Speaking about the verdict, Detective Inspector Laura Lamping said: “This was a truly shocking and brutal murder of Courtney Bourne in her own home.

“As the court heard, her tragic death and the domestic violence she endured was abhorrent.

“Nobody can begin to understand the impact her sudden death has had on her family and friends, but I hope that this conviction will give Courtney’s family a sense of justice.”

Det Insp Lamping added: “This conviction demonstrates our dedication to bringing perpetrators of domestic violence to justice and supporting victims.

“Merseyside Police continues to do everything it can to tackle all violence against women and girls and we will do everything in our power to support victims, target perpetrators and reduce violence by ensuring victims of domestic abuse feel believed and supported when they report offending to us.

“Domestic abuse is a complex issue and can take many forms. It can be psychological, financial, sexual, emotional and physical and we want to raise awareness of the support that is available to anyone who is or has experienced domestic abuse or has been affected by it so that nobody else has to suffer or silence or go through what they have been through.

“We work closely with local domestic support organisations, local authorities, safeguarding teams and charities to ensure that services and ongoing support are available, including access to refuges.

“We have a number of specialist departments within the police to investigate these crimes but it’s important that we all work together to support survivors and collectively work to prevent these crimes occurring in the first place by raising awareness.”

Domestic abuse isn’t just physical – it can be emotional, sexual, financial or controlling behaviour. It can happen to anyone, regardless of gender. Some of the signs of domestic abuse, such as physical marks, may be easy to identify but others may be things you can easily explain away or overlook.

Often victims are either in a relationship with the perpetrator or have been historically, it can therefore be very hard for them to report what has been going on. They might still love their abuser, feel loyal to them, are protecting their children or are simply living in fear.

Merseyside Police is determined to break that cycle of abuse where perpetrators continue to commit crime after crime against their victim thinking that every time they do, they are less likely to get caught.

Please talk to us or the partners we work with if you are a victim of domestic abuse, so we can protect you or anyone that does come forward and take decisive action against abusers. Together we can help you overcome any cycle of domestic abuse.”

You can read more about the signs of domestic abuse or make a report online

https://www.merseyside.police.uk/police-forces/merseyside-police/areas/campaigns/campaigns/2023/january/domestic-abuse/ Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.