LONDON, UK — A woman has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of Charlotte Lawlor, 31, during a child’s birthday party in Stepney Green, east London.
Hope Rowe, 33, fatally stabbed Lawlor in front of horrified family members and children after an argument escalated at the celebration in 2023. She was ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years behind bars.
Rowe’s partner, Leigh Holder, helped her flee the scene and dispose of the weapon. Holder was later sentenced to 16 months in prison for perverting the course of justice.
Following the incident, police recovered a voicemail on Rowe’s phone in which she chillingly said it was “good” that she had killed Lawlor. Witnesses saw the pair leave the area in a vehicle shortly before 1:00 a.m.
Holder was stopped by armed police about an hour later in Tower Hamlets. He claimed Rowe had jumped out of the car earlier and denied knowing her whereabouts. However, later that morning, Rowe surrendered at Bethnal Green Police Station and was arrested.
In court, Rowe claimed the stabbing resulted from a momentary loss of control, but the jury rejected her defense.
Det Sgt Dean Musgrove condemned the pair’s actions as “despicable” and said the verdict delivers some measure of justice to the grieving family.
“This sentence shows that killers will be pursued even when they attempt to mislead investigators,” he added.
