Mum found guilty of killing partner
AMUM who claimed her bullying partner had subjected her to months of abuse is facing life behind bars after being found guilty of his murder.
Lisa Withers stabbed Jason Capper to death outside their Stockport home as their neighbours looked on in horror. At the time he was stabbed, Mr Capper was brawling with her 30-year-old son Christopher in the street.
Mum-of-three Withers, 49, denied murder in a Manchester Crown Court trial, saying she acted in defence of herself and her son.
She told jurors she suffered psychotic depression and alleged Mr Capper had subjected her to months of abuse and bullying. She denied deliberately stabbing her partner of four years, saying she had found the knife in the road, and hit Mr Capper in the back without realising it was still in her hand.
However, jurors rejected her claims after a three-week trial and hours of deliberation. Withers, who was on bail because of her mental health difficulties, has now been remanded in custody awaiting sentence.
Members of Mr Capper’s family say allegations he was abusive are lies.
The fatal attack was seen by a number of neighbours - although none saw the knife in her hand and people thought Withers was just hitting Mr Capper.
Witnesses testified Withers had continued to attack Mr Capper as he backed away from her. In the aftermath of the stabbing, as her son warned her Mr Capper could bleed to death, she could be heard saying ‘let him die’.
Withers’ murder trial began on October 25 - her 49th birthday. The court heard that Mr Capper had been killed on October 24, 2015 - the eve of Withers’ 48th birthday - after she had complained to her adult children that she always had a ‘ **** birthday’.
Christopher Withers went to his mother’s home at Ash Street, Cheadle Heath that evening after getting a text in which she said she was ‘cancelling’ her birthday.
When he got there, she was at the front door arguing with Mr Capper, who was in the street, the court heard.
When Christopher asked Mr Capper what was going on, he swore at him.
The pair ended up scuffling in the street. Mr Capper landed on top of Christopher with his hand around his throat, and threatened to ‘shoot’ him. Mr Capper then stood up with a shocked expression, as he was stabbed from behind by Lisa Withers.
Continuing the knife attack, she told him: “That’s the last time you hit me or one of my kids you b ****** .” Mr Capper backed away before collapsing bleeding at a neighbour’s door. Lisa Withers then stood over him and said: “I hope you **** ing die you b ****** ”.
She will be sentenced by Judge Patrick Field QC today (Wednesday).