Teenage girl killed herself months after her mother was beaten to death by crack-addicted loan shark boyfriend...

 A grief-stricken teenage girl killed herself only two months after her mother was beaten to death by her crack-addicted boyfriend - who had just been released from prison for domestic violence.

Rachelle Owen, 16, committed suicide on railway tracks near Hoylake station in Wirral, Merseyside, in April because she 'just wanted to be with' her mother, Kay Diamond, 44, a court heard today.

Only weeks earlier, in February, Miss Diamond had been murdered by her 52-year-old loan shark boyfriend, Anthony Blye, after he got into an 'explosive rage' at her flat in Toxteth, south Liverpool.

Blye had been released from prison less than 24 hours earlier after serving a 28-day sentence for breaching a Domestic Violence Prevention Order following eight incidents in the past year.

Upon his release on February 27, he immediately breached the order again by heading to the area where she lived, where he accused Miss Diamond of seeing another man before murdering her.

Today, Blye was jailed for life for murder by Judge David Aubrey QC at Liverpool Crown Court.

He was ordered to serve a minimum of 19 years behind bars.

Judge Aubrey told the defendant: 'You brutally killed a defenseless and vulnerable woman in her own home. The assault was prolonged and vicious. The offense was committed while you were in a jealous rage in consequence of your misguided perception that she had been unfaithful to you.'

After arriving at Miss Diamond's home, Blye accused his girlfriend of seeing a man named Louis Brown while he was in prison.

Brian Cummings, QC, prosecuting, said Blye had lent a man called Adrian Collins £40. When Blye demanded he pay back £180, Mr Collins said he had given £100 to Miss Diamond, he said.

Mr Cummings said Blye became very angry and told him he was 'going to f***ing batter her, going to f***ing kill her'. He then spent the night drinking alcohol and taking crack cocaine and cannabis.

The prosecutor said: 'He was convinced that during his absence in prison Miss Diamond had been sleeping with Louis Brown and spending his money.'

The following morning, Blye went to a friend called Tony Halliday's home, claiming he had found Miss Diamond unresponsive in his flat.

He told Mr Halliday that Louis Brown had broken into their home and beaten up Miss Diamond. 

When the pair got to the flat, Miss Diamond was lying face-up naked on the living room floor covered in bruises.

Mr Halliday tried to give her CPR, during which time Blye disappeared and was caught on CCTV disposing of an object behind the flats, which has never been found.

Mr Cummings told the court: 'It demonstrated his calculating and indifferent behaviour when he must have believed his partner was either dead or dying.'

When he was arrested and charged with murder, Blye said: 'Wow, don't say that I've done nothing.'

He claimed that he and Miss Diamond had an argument because he wanted her to stop drinking and she 'came at him' and he 'kept kicking her away' in self-defence.

Blye suggested that at one point she 'fell hard to the floor' but things eventually calmed down and they went to sleep together on the sofa.

He told officers that he went out to get a loaf of bread in the morning and returned to find her dead, later suggesting Louis Brown had killed her.

A post-mortem examination found that the 5ft 4in mum was bruised to her head, neck, chest, stomach, back, buttocks, genitals, arms and legs.

She was punched and kicked, possibly attacked with a thin chain such as a dog lead, and had bleeding on the brain, the exam showed.

She died from 'blunt impact trauma' that was 'consistent with a sustained and violent assault'.

Only two months later, the family endured another tragedy when Miss Owen, from Newton, Wirral, died after being struck by a train at around 9.30pm on April 17.

At an inquest, Liverpool's coroner Andre Rebello concluded: 'Rachelle walked out in front of an oncoming train at the foot-crossing at Drummond Road in Hoylake. 

'She sustained fatal multiple injuries.

'Given the evidence we have I am satisfied that Rachelle took her own life.'

Mr Rebello told the inquest: 'Clearly the timing of her mother's death (and Rachelle's death) may well be in some way linked.'

He added: 'I can't imagine how difficult this year as been so far. Clearly at the end of February one would have thought the worst had happened.' 

Miss Owen's friends said she the teenager had 'just wanted to be with her mum'.

Jan Levenson, principal at Hilbre High School Humanities College where Rachelle studied, said the teenager dreamed of a career with a law firm.

He said: 'We were devastated to learn the sad news of Rachelle's death. She was a popular student with both students and staff, well motivated, hard-working and compassionate.'

Rachelle's family said at the time: 'Rachelle was a beautiful, vibrant, loved daughter, granddaughter, sister and niece. 

'She will be greatly missed forever by all of her family and friends.

'This is a double tragedy to our family following the recent death and funeral of her mum.'

Speaking after today's court case, Miss Diamond's mother, Hillary Diamond, said her daughter's life had been 'cut dramatically short' at Blye's hands. 

She said: 'Kay was a much-loved mother to her two perfect children and a beloved younger sister to Julia and Peter. 

'Kay was a good student at West Kirkby Grammar School and after college she became a legal secretary. In April this year our family was left devastated again when Rachelle took her own life.

'The loss of people so close to us has caused our health to deteriorate.

'Kay's son is only a child and for someone to have lost a mum and sister at that young age is just devastating. He must now face the life he has ahead of him without them.'

Mrs Diamond said since her daughter's death, 'nothing has been the same'.

She said: 'We were numb and in disbelief. How can you tell children such news and watch their lives fall apart? You feel so helpless.

'The world we then entered of post mortems, police processes and court is truly alien to us.

'The fear and dread of attending court and seeing Blye there has caused me anxiety and pain.

'Although today's sentencing has given me some closure, the pain and loss will be with me forever.

'If I had a choice, I would want him to spend the rest of his life in jail.

'Our lives have been changed beyond belief. Kay had so much life ahead of her.'

Miss Diamond's sister, Julia, described her as 'bright, clever and quick-witted' and 'a nice person with a strong personality'.

She said: 'Kay travelled the world in her early 20s and became involved in the hospitality business. After settling back in England she had two lovely children.

'The impact of Kay's death was massive. My own children were very close to Kay when they were smaller. Both her children were devastated.

'Kay's death took a massive toll on my mother and father. I was very concerned about them but as a family we managed to be there for each other.'

Miss Owen, meanwhile, was described as 'beautiful and vibrant'. 

Julia said: 'It was like a nightmare when we heard of Rachelle's death.

'I never could have dreamt even in my worst nightmares that I would ever find myself telling Kay's son that his mother had been murdered and also telling him his sister had taken her own life. 

'It's been heartbreaking. It feels too horrific to be real.

'My husband, my children and myself are still heartbroken about everything that has happened.'

She added that she wished to thank all of the officials involved in the murder investigation, saying that without their support, 'we could not have got through this as a family'.

Source: UK Daily Mail