Man, 50, admits murdering partner’s mother and attempting to kill his partner

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A 50-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the murder of his partner’s mother and the attempted murder of his partner.

Damian Homer, appearing by videolink from HMP Hewell, was told he faces a mandatory life sentence after admitting both charges at Worcester Crown Court.

No details of the offences were opened to the court by prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC after Homer, of Haresfield Close, Worcester, pleaded guilty to the murder of Wendy Francis, 61, and attempting to murder her daughter Stacey Hill, 38.

Both women were attacked on March 2 this year, with emergency services being called to the Haresfield Close address at about 8.30pm.

Adjourning the case to a date to be fixed, Judge Rupert Mayo told the court: “I am not going to sentence today – there are two main reasons.

“The first is the defendant should be here. I am not prepared to pass sentence for an offence as grave as this on the videolink. However expedient that might be, it’s wrong. He (Homer) needs to be here.

“Secondly, I am told the psychiatric report has only recently been made available.”

Addressing Homer directly, the judge added: “I will be sentencing you at some stage between now and the 27th of August.

“There is only one sentence I can pass and that’s one of life imprisonment. I have to decide the minimum term before you can be considered for parole.

“I will decide that at the later date when I have had a chance to read all of the documents that have been provided to the court, including the psychiatric report.”

Homer is known to have previously received a suspended prison sentence for an assault on Ms Hill committed in June 2020, which left her with a chipped tooth and a cut above her eye.