Serial abuser who murdered girlfriend in Greenwich jailed for life
Khloemae Loy was 23-years-old when she was murdered last July
A serial abuser who fatally stabbed his girlfriend in the neck in a London hotel room has been jailed for life
40-year-old Taye Francis had convictions for rape and violence when he killed 23-year-old Khloemae Loy in Greenwich last July.
Earlier today (6th December), he was found guilty of her murder and has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 23 years.
Judge Mark Lucraft QC said Ms Loy was particularly vulnerable and Francis's long history of violence against women was a "hugely significant" factor.
The court heard how steroid addict Francis attacked Ms Loy in a Premier Inn room in Greenwich, south London.
Afterwards, he sent a picture of Ms Loy lying dead on a bed to his lawyer saying "I've killed my girlfriend" as he called 999.
Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon QC had said: "Mr Francis was a violent, self-obsessed man who took steroids.
"Apart from building muscle mass, steroids have various side effects. These include aggression and paranoia.
"Our case is that he killed her in anger. It was murder."
The court heard that Francis had a severe personality disorder and suffered from the effects of steroids.
Francis had been violent against women since 2002
Francis, formerly known as Ashley Wyatt, had a string of convictions for violence against women.
In 2002 he was jailed for six years and placed on the sex offenders' register for two rapes, kidnap and having a blade.
In 2013 he was handed a non-molestation order and jailed for assaulting another woman who he threatened to kill and stab in the neck.
Two years later, he was convicted of criminal damage during a domestic incident.
In 2016, he was given a conditional discharge for attacking an ex-girlfriend.
Ms Loy had met the defendant while working at a pub near Croydon College, where she was a student.
She told her parents, Maxine and Dany Loy, that he was 26 when he was in fact much older, and also, wrongly, that he was a fellow student.
In 2017 Francis assaulted Ms Loy and threw her in a wheelie bin, jurors were told.
He was convicted and given a 20-week sentence with a restraining order.
Since 2016 people in the UK have been given the right to know or ask if their partner has a history of violence through the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme, or Clare's Law.
The latest figures reveal that Clare's Law has been used thousands of times during the pandemic.
Evidence shows he was an "aggressive, controlling man"
Ms Lumsdon told jurors: "Her parents encouraged Khloemae to leave Mr Francis.
"Khloemae said she could not leave him or he would attack Mr and Mrs Loy.
"The records paint a picture, you may think, of an aggressive, controlling man and a troubled, frightened woman who is struggling with her mental health."
The day before the murder, Ms Loy cancelled a shopping trip with her mother, saying she was going to the coast to meet her boyfriend's parents.
The next day she was found at the Premier Inn room with a stab wound to the neck and pronounced dead at the scene by the Met Police.
In an attempt to escape, Francis was hanging from a ledge outside, having thrown a small rucksack and a suitcase out of the window.
He had cuts to his body and had recently taken steroids. He was eventually dealt with by the emergency services, put into an induced coma and taken to hospital.
A set of knives were found in the hotel room; a receipt showed these had been bought just a week prior to the attack from a supermarket in Sutton, the Met police said.
When uniformed police knocked on the door of the victim's parents, Mr Loy answered and said: "He's killed her, hasn't he?"
"She was always the life and soul of the party"
In a victim impact statement, Ms Loy's parents said: "We all miss her bubbly personality, she was always the life and soul of the party and she always tried to see the best in everyone. She was like our little china doll.
"At the age of 23, Khloemae had already endured five years of suffering at the hands of Taye Francis when all she did was seek love and commitment from him.
"Taye tricked her into his world. He lied to her from the very beginning. He lied about his age, his job and the fact he was a student at a local college.
"He tried to manipulate and control Khloemae from the outset. He took her away from her family and friends and physically and emotionally abused her.
"Taye has taken Khloemae's life but in doing so he has also ruined ours."
She said Francis was a "danger to society" and expressed the hope that locking him up would prevent anyone else from falling victim to him.
'We Need To Talk About Women’s Safety'?
Earlier this year our Bauer Media panel and guests took part in an important discussion on women’s safety and what we can do to implement change. You can view the video below or on Closer's YouTube.
Trigger warning: You might find subjects in this discussion distressing. If you need any help and support you can call the Samaritans on 116 123.
If you need to report instances of harassment or abuse and feel comfortable to do so you can contact the Met Police, Police Scotland or the National Domestic Abuse helpline.