Woman faces life in jail for frenzied murder of friend who ‘got fresh’

Edward Bennett died following a series of horrific wounds. Picture: PA

The High Court in Glasgow heard that 49-year-old  Edward Bennett suffered horrific wounds to his head, neck, chest and abdomen after the attack in Glasgow by Danielle Watson, 29.

Watson later told police: “I know I am a violent person, but I didn’t think I was capable of being this violent.”

The mother-of-one, who is slightly built and less than 5ft, will be be given a life sentence for the murder.

Judge Lord Turnbull will determine next month how many years she must spend in jail before being eligible for parole. During a sustained and brutal attack, Watson inflicted a catalogue of injuries that included black eyes, bleeding on the brain, 18 rib fractures and broken bones in his neck.

Watson also stamped on Mr Bennett, a father-of-four, leaving impressions of her footprints visible on his body. She strangled him with a black scarf she was wearing and rammed two scouring pads down his throat, blocking his windpipe.

Yesterday, Watson admitted murdering Mr Bennett, a neighbour and friend, at her home in Helenvale Street, Glasgow, on  6 or 7 November last year.

Advocate depute Leanne Cross, prosecuting, said: “A post-mortem examination revealed evidence of severe blunt traumatic injury to multiple body regions, including the neck, chest and back, and his airways were blocked as two sponges or scourers were found tightly placed within his throat area.”

The court heard that in the early hours of the morning, Watson texted her cousin saying: “I need sum where 2 run just now I’ve done summit awful.”

When she was asked what she had done, she replied: “Murder.”

Around 8:15am on 7 November 2013, while Mr Bennett lay dead in her living room, Watson was caught on CCTV footage at Premier Stores in Cranhill  chatting and laughing with staff as she bought cigarettes and a lighter.

Watson then returned to her flat and confessed on the phone to her parents that she had murdered someone and he was lying on her living room floor.

Minutes later, she took a taxi to her aunt’s house. As soon as she got into the house, she said, referring to the black scarf she was wearing: “I’m gonnae take that off my neck, I strangled him wi’ that.” Watson said Mr Bennett had “just started” so she strangled him.

Miss Cross said that Watson told her parents, who arrived at her aunt’s house, that she had strangled him “because he got fresh with me”.

The court heard that Watson has a number of previous convictions in both Scotland and England, including crimes of violence.

Solicitor advocate Murray Macara, defending, said: “One of the main reasons Miss Watson has taken the step of pleading guilty at this stage is to spare the family the ordeal of a trial. Though that will be of scant consolation to them.”

Lord Turnbull deferred sentence on Watson until next month at the High Court in  Edinburgh.