Marie Metcalfe jailed for life after murdering sister Laura Metcalfe in Hartlepool’s Brougham Terrace

Marie Metcalfe, 41, must serve at least 18 years in jail before she is considered for parole after admitting the murder of her 44-year-old sister Laura Metcalfe in an incident in Brougham Terrace, Hartlepool, on April 7 this year.

She had previously denied the murder but changed her plea to guilty when the trial was due to start at Teesside Crown Court on Monday, September 18.

The court heard on Tuesday, September 19, that Marie Metcalfe stabbed her sister Laura in the chest, piercing her heart, after Laura became involved in a dispute with a third woman.

Shortly after, the victim, who was a mother-of-three children, suffered a cardiac arrest and died in hospital around a week later.

Jamie Hill, prosecuting, told the court the defendant and her sister come from a big family of 15 siblings.

Marie Metcalfe did not get on well with several members of her family – including the victim.

There had been incidents when police had been called out, particularly in July last year, with Marie making “malicious allegations” about Laura.

The court also heard their mother had not spoken to Marie for 18 years.

In the lead up to the attack in April, Laura had allowed another woman, Kelly Nicholson, to stay with her.

The court was told that on the afternoon of April 7, Ms Nicholson, 44, had gone out and returned “extremely drunk”.

Laura – who lived with her three children - asked her to “walk it off” and come back, telling Nicholson she was welcome to return when sober.

After this, the victim and a friend left the house, in Brougham Terrace, to go to another property.

The court was told that during this time Nicholson returned to Laura’s house and knocked on the door before deciding to visit Marie Metcalfe, who also lived in the street.

Mr Hill said it is not clear how much Nicholson knew about the relationship between the sisters.

The two women then headed to a nearby corner shop, where the court was told Nicholson stole a number of goods and made her way back to Brougham Terrace.

At that same moment, Laura was arriving home and jumped over her front fence to confront Nicholson.

They had a “minor scruffle” before separating and continuing to tussle – the end of which was witnessed by Marie Metcalfe.

Metcalfe then appears to stab Laura “in one swinging motion” and to put a knife in her pocket. The incident was caught on CCTV and shown at the hearing on Tuesday.

Mr Hill said the knife had not been found.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the stab wound pierced the right ventricle of Laura’s heart.

Laura managed to get home and get her son to call an ambulance, during which time she suffered a cardiac arrest.

Despite undergoing an emergency surgery and a further operation at James Cook Hospital, she sadly lost her life around a week later.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, one of Laura’s children said her mother’s death had left her “sad, anxious, and weary of other people”.

The court also heard a statement from the victim and the defendant’s mother, who now looks after Laura’s children.

She said that her heart “is broken”, adding: “I am a bag of nerves and my health is getting worse.”

In mitigation, Nicholas Lumley told the court there was “lack of premeditation” in the offence and that the remorse was “palpable”.

The defendant was seen on CCTV speaking to the shopping assistant before leaving with her purchases and had not left home with the intention of using the knife, the court heard.

Mr Lumley said: “She knows that she must be punished for what she has done.”

He added that Metcalfe had expressed she feels safe in prison, where she works in the reception area.

Metcalfe, who has previous convictions, was sentenced to a life in prison, with a minimum term of 18 years.

Passing the sentence, Judge Howard Crowson said: “Laura’s death has had a significant impact upon her children and other family members.”

Nicholson, of Shinwell Terrace, Wheatley Hill, who was previously charged with assisting an offender, was dealt with by way of a police caution over the weekend.