Mother’s sex photo ‘incited ex to kill her new lover’
A WoMAn has been charged with inciting a fatal assault on her lover by sending an explicit photograph to her jealous former boyfriend.
David Saunders was allegedly ‘tipped over the edge’ by Sarah Bramley, 29, sending him a picture of her performing a sex act on 34-year-old Michael Lawson.
A judge said the picture wound up 33-year- old Saunders so much that he took a taxi to Miss Bramley’s house and launched the deadly assault on his love rival.
Father- of- one Mr Lawson was stabbed through the heart with a kitchen knife as he walked home.
Saunders later admitted murder and was jailed for a minimum of 22-and-ahalf years at Teesside Crown Court last December, with the judge saying that he had been provoked by his exgirlfriend’s messages.
Judge Stephen Ashurst ruled Miss Bramley’s actions had a ‘ very important bearing’ on what Saunders did, but she was not involved in the case as she had moved to Australia soon after the killing in July last year.
The mother, who had studied law at university, returned to Britain last month and was arrested by police.
Miss Bramley has now appeared before newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court in County Durham on two charges of assisting the commissioning of an offence. The first count alleges that ‘between June 29 and July 2, she sent David Saunders a photograph of her with another male, advised him of the whereabouts of that other male and invited David Saunders over to assault said other male, which was capaorgasm ble of encouraging or assisting an indictable- only offence… believing that one or more of these offences would be committed’.
The second charge is almost identical, but says the photograph was capable of encouraging or assisting ‘a number of offences’ and uses the word ‘murder’. no pleas have been entered and she is due to appear at Teesside Crown Court shortly.
Career criminal Saunders began an on-off relationship with Miss Bramley in november 2016, before they separated for good in April last year. The killer had blamed the break-up on her relationship with Mr Lawson and, after he had vandalised his rival’s car, he was warned by police to keep away.
But Saunders went on to smash a paving block through Mr Lawson’s window.
The hearing in December was told Miss Bramley, of Darlington, had taunted Saunders about his sexual performance in the run-up to the killing. She allegedly told him: ‘I never had a proper in three months with you, I faked the lot. He has just given me the best orgasm of my life.’
The day before the murder Miss Bramley allegedly told Saunders she had sex with Mr Lawson – starting a series of offensive messages between them. She is said to have goaded him further by saying her new man was bigger and stronger than him.
But after performing the sex act on Mr Lawson and sending the photograph to Saunders, she then slapped her lover and ordered him to leave the house. The court heard she texted Saunders saying: ‘I have just smashed the lad clean in the face because he wouldn’t go home. What have I got myself involved with?’
She went on to add: ‘He is outside the house, feel free to smack the c***.’
Saunders is said to have threatened Mr Lawson in the argument and he also sent a female friend, who was at Miss Bramley’s home, an intimate photo of her.
Commenting on the sex act photograph that allegedly incited the attack, the judge told Saunders at his sentencing hearing: ‘I am absolutely sure that image was sent by her to wind you up.
‘She no doubt succeeded, for in a few minutes you arranged for a taxi to drive you over to the other side of Darlington, to Sarah Bramley’s house.’ He added: ‘Jealousy was very much at the heart of your behaviour.’
The court heard Saunders was ‘spoiling for a fight’ after drinking six cans of lager and snorting cocaine. Mr Lawson, who was described by his family as an ‘innocent victim’, died within an hour of the attack.
‘Sent by her to wind you up’