Man convicted of murdering his partner in Cornish village and jailed for life
Truro Crown Court heard Michaela Hall suffered a knife wound to the head at Mount Hawke
Last updated 28th Jan 2022
A man has been jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his partner in a Cornish village.
Michaela Hall was discovered at her home in Mount Hawke after suffering a knife wound to her head.
Police and paramedics were called to the property on Charlotte Close on the evening of June 21st 2021, following concerns for a woman's welfare.
When they arrived, 48-year-old Michaela Hall was found dead.
Lee Kendall, now 43-years-old, was arrested the next morning and charged two days later.
He was convicted on Friday 28th January following a 10-day trial at Truro Crown Court.
Statements were read from both Michaela's children, with one saying they had not seen their mum since 2020 due to her relationship.
The court in Truro also heard a statement from Michaela's mum, who described her daughter as having beautiful eyes.
On sentencing, the judge said Lee Kendall had been affected by drink and drugs before the attack.
He added that the 43-year-old's violence had caused "utter anguish and devastation".
Kendall has now been handed a life sentence, to serve a minimum term of 21 years in prison.
What happened?
Michaela was located deceased at her home on 1st June 2021 after police received reports of a possible assault.
A forensic post-mortem confirmed that she had sustained a stab wound to her right eye and brain, and also had a number of bruises and injuries to her face.
It was claimed that an assault had taken at the address during the evening of 31st May where Michaela sustained fatal injuries.
The police investigation found that Kendall had left the house on 1st June and travelled into Truro city centre where he was looking to buy drugs.
He was located on 2nd June and arrested on Boscawen Street and taken into custody for questioning. He was later charged with murder and remanded into custody.
The court heard how Ms Hall had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of Kendall repeatedly during their relationship.
Throughout the investigation Kendall denied murder.
'Michaela wanted to help him'
Detective Inspector Stephanie Blundell, senior investigating officer, said “Michaela suffered repeated assaults by Kendall whose campaign of violence and intimidation prevented her from accessing help and breaking the cycle of abuse.
“Michaela wanted to help Kendall, she gave him a home and he took advantage of her nature and support by repeatedly beating her during the course of their relationship and ultimately killing her.
“Despite Kendall’s continuous lies and attempts to avail himself of any responsibility, a thorough and detailed investigation by determined officers from the Major Crime Investigation Team yielded the evidence to disprove his deceit.
“I would like to commend the investigation and prosecution team as well as members of the public who came forward to assist the police and ensure justice was done. We send our deepest condolences to Michaela’s family, who have demonstrated extreme dignity throughout the investigation and proceedings. I hope today’s outcome will bring some small comfort to them.”
Domestic abuse takes many forms and can happen to anyone.
If you see the signs please get help from the police or other agencies. If you're in danger call 999, or in a non-emergency email 101@dc.police.uk or call 101.
If you do not wish to involve the police in the first instance, Devon & Cornwall Police works with a number of partner agencies that can support you:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline (24 hrs) 0808 2000 247
National Men’s Advice Line (Respect) 0808 8010327
Devon Helpline 0345 155 1074
Cornwall Helpline 0300 777 4777
Plymouth Helpline 0800 458 2558
Torbay helpline 0800 916 1474
You can report incidents anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at - Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)