logo
Tributes pour in for mum found strangled after husband charged with her murder

Tributes pour in for mum found strangled after husband charged with her murder

Metro18-06-2025
A popular mum who was found dead in her home has been remembered as 'beautiful inside and out'.
Artist Isobella Knight, 32, was discovered by police at her semi-detached home in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, on Friday.
Officers attended the property on Donnington Road after originally being called to reports of a car crashing into a nearby McDonald's restaurant.
A post-mortem examination found mum-of-two Isobella, known as Izzy, had died as a result of pressure being applied to her neck.
Her husband, Paul Knight, 35, has been charged with her murder.
Izzy's family have penned poignant tributes to the 'kind, gentle and much-loved' mum who put her two little girls before anything else.'
Her mum, Helena, said: 'She made it so easy to be a mum, and her good nature was something that would never leave her.
'As Izzy grew up, she became a beautiful, gentle, quietly confident young woman who loved getting up early and seizing the day, had a strong network of friends, and gave birth to two girls who became her world.
'If anyone was born to be a mum, it was Izzy. She would go without to give her two girls the best possible life, and she took them to so many clubs and classes, including gymnastics, swimming, drama and dance.'
Izzy worked as an artist after studying Fine Art at the University of Hertfordshire and ran her own portrait business.
Her mum added: 'She never had a bad word to say about anyone – she was truly beautiful inside and out, and she wouldn't hurt a fly.
'I want everyone to know that Izzy was so much more than a victim. She was a loving mother, a treasured daughter, a best friend in sister form, a talented artist, and a great friend.'
Izzy's dad Tim, also issued a moving statement recalling his daughter as a 'totally devoted' mum.
'Being Izzy's dad has been the greatest joy, a pleasure and a privilege. She has been taken so tragically and now we must all somehow learn to live on without her,' he said.' More Trending
'As her family we respectfully continue to ask for privacy.'
Senior investigating officer Detective Inspector Torie Harrison said: 'Our thoughts and condolences are with Izzy's family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.
'She was a much-loved daughter, sister and mother and the devastation caused by her death is immeasurable.
'Our team continue to work at pace to ensure her loved ones have the answers they need, and to secure justice for Izzy.'
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: Drug mule mum jailed after cannabis bust at Manchester Airport
MORE: British man shot dead in Mexico was 'in the wrong place at wrong time'
MORE: Man found 'tortured' to death in home was bound by ankles, court hears
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Meredith Kercher's family lawyer slams 'disrespectful' Amanda Knox after new series
Meredith Kercher's family lawyer slams 'disrespectful' Amanda Knox after new series

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

Meredith Kercher's family lawyer slams 'disrespectful' Amanda Knox after new series

Amanda Knox has executive-produced a new series based on her life and the aftermath of the 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher, and the British student's family lawyer has hit out Meredith Kercher's family solicitor has delivered a scathing attack on Amanda Knox after the launch of a new series exploring the fallout from the 2007 killing and subsequent trial. ‌ The 38 year old has executive-produced K. J. Steinberg's eight-part Hulu series, The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, which draws heavily from her autobiography. Grace Van Patten portrays Amanda in the drama. ‌ Following the programme's New York debut on Tuesday, where the cleared American was pictured beaming on the red carpet beside Monica Lewinsky, Kercher family barrister Francesco Maresca has struck back, telling The Mirror, "The important thing is that Amanda Knox clearly wants this case to continue. ‌ "It would be nice and dignified to watch a program or TV show where everything is reconstructed, remembering the life and smile of poor Meredith.", reports the Mirror US. Mr Maresca continued, "Instead, once again, we have to witness an attempt to reshuffle the cards, and where the trailer states, 'Amanda fights tirelessly to prove her innocence and regain her freedom.' Once again, the focus is on Knox." When the programme was initially revealed last year, Meredith's sister, Stephanie, remarked, "It is difficult to understand how this serves any purpose." At the time, Maresca described Amanda's ventures centring on Meredith's killing and the media frenzy that ensued as continuing to be "inappropriate and disrespectful towards the memory of Meredith," alleging the Perugia proceedings had become a means for her to profit from her infamy. "Ms. Knox, after so many years, should respect the silence and memory," he said, as filming took place in the same Italian town where the 21 year old was killed. In November 2007, Leeds University student Meredith was sexually assaulted, before having her throat slashed and stabbed 47 times while studying in Perugia. Meredith's flatmate, Amanda, and her then-boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, were initially found guilty of her murder alongside Rudy Guede. ‌ The accusations sparked a media frenzy as she was branded 'Foxy Knoxy' by journalists. The pair were convicted in 2009 but were released following an appeal two years later. Their conviction was restored in 2014 but overturned by Italy's highest court in March 2015. The mum-of-two has since profited from her ordeal by penning a book, producing a Netflix documentary, hosting multiple podcasts, and delivering various speaking engagements, including some in Italy. ‌ Despite opposition from Perugia residents and those connected to Meredith, she continued with the series, with Monica Lewinsky serving as executive producer. Their bond began in 2017 at a speaking event two years after Amanda was cleared, and has since evolved into a working relationship. This week, ahead of the 20th August premiere, the Seattle native also discussed explaining the case to her 4 year old daughter, Eureka, telling her: "It's very simple. When Mommy was young, Mommy went to Italy, and she made friends and she had fun, but then someone hurt her friend, and the police thought Mommy hurt her friend, and so they put Mommy in jail. ‌ "Mommy was in jail for a long time, and she was very sad. But then one day, Mommy proved that she was innocent, and she got to go home, and then she met your daddy and had you and lived happily ever after." Critics argue the new series and Amanda's ongoing public accounts represent a relentless bid to profit from a tragedy in which she played a peripheral role, rather than genuine soul-searching. Others have questioned whether such programmes serve any function beyond self-promotion, highlighting the ongoing anguish for Meredith's family and the sensationalising of revisiting the extensively covered case. The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox is streaming on Hulu.

Who killed Kiesha: Chilling footage sheds light on shocking murder of Elgin mum-of-two
Who killed Kiesha: Chilling footage sheds light on shocking murder of Elgin mum-of-two

Press and Journal

time5 hours ago

  • Press and Journal

Who killed Kiesha: Chilling footage sheds light on shocking murder of Elgin mum-of-two

A new docuseries has shed more light on how police captured Kiesha Donaghy's killer and the brutal details of the crime. Lucretia Donaghy, known as Kiesha, was repeatedly bludgeoned by Owen Grant in her flat on Anderson Drive in November 2023. The attack was said to be savage, frenzied and brutal, with the Elgin mum-of-two found by friends a day later. Her murder shocked the Moray community, with an evidence trail eventually leading to the culprit, Owen Grant. Now, the docuseries Murder Case has revealed more details about the brutal crime and the police investigation in the episode, Who Killed Kiesha? The episode starts with a panicked 999 call to police after friends found Kiesha in the bedroom of her flat. DI William Murdoch gives a briefing laying out the details of what the police know so far. According to DI Murdoch, Kiesha was found lying face down, by the side of the bed. Photographs of the scene are shown, including the bed, which is littered with items such as an ashtray, lighter and cigarette papers, as well as bloodstains. There is also blood spatter and staining on the walls of the bedroom including a bloody handprint, which was later attributed to Owen Grant. People who knew Kiesha gave emotional interviews about what she was like. Bob, her best friend, said he was 'intimidated' by her when he first met her. He said: 'She was that big of a personality. She couldn't walk quietly into a room. 'She had to be the loud one.' Bob shared funny videos of Kiesha, describing her as 'one-of-a-kind'. According to witnesses, Owen Grant was seen in the company of Kiesha in the lead up to her death. Grant had come in willingly and gave police a statement on her movements. He told officers he had been in his bed all day, before getting up to go to the Cottar House pub to play pool. According to officers, Kiesha had received death threats before she died. She was last seen on a video call at 4.30pm on the day she died. Officers believe she was killed between 7pm and 8pm on November 15. Later on in the episode, the officers receive CCTV footage that shows Owen Grant walking down Murray Street at 8.30pm, 100 yards away from Kiesha's flat. Around 6am on November 16, Grant is seen on CCTV footage inside McDonald's. During one of his briefings, DI Murdoch reveals that Kiesha was also known to police for involvement in the supply of drugs in the Moray and Highland areas. Kiesha's aunt, Rachel, came forward during the investigation with information regarding a drug deal that she'd pieced together from deleted messages. She was using her aunt's phone to access her Facebook Messenger account, which confirmed to Rachel her niece was dealing. According to the messages, someone with the pseudonym Joe Bloggs was sending 'his two amigos up' and insisted they meet at her flat. Kiesha didn't have all the man's money, and so wanted to meet them elsewhere. Rachel gave an interview during which she said the death of Kiesha's grandmother hit Kiesha very hard and it was after this that she began to get involved with drugs. Her two daughters were eventually taken from her and Rachel said Kiesha went 'down a rabbit hole she couldn't get out of'. A post-mortem revealed Kiesha was killed by a blow from a round-headed object to the back of the skull. However, other sinister details included fractures to her right index and ring fingers, which could have been done to extract information. The investigation became firmly focused on the movements of Owen Grant, who was at the Cottar Hoose after Kiesha's estimated time of death. He left after just one pint and went over to the nearby Scotmid store, having changed his clothing. The time stamp is 9.45pm. He buys a few items including cigarettes, but it is behaviour that catches the attention of officers. Grant opens his wallet and takes out a large wad of cash. Officers say he was 'flaunting' the bank notes, despite struggling to pay his rent. They called the CCTV footage a 'landmark moment'. Police were able to work back and find that Grant appeared on CCTV outside the Scotmid store at about 9pm and placed an unknown item into a bin. DI Murdoch says they are unlikely to find whatever Grant put in the bin. The bloody handprint evidence leads officers to make the arrest of Owen Grant and the process is shown in the episode. During an interview with police, he repeatedly replies 'no comment' to questions. Watching officers comment that he seemed relaxed. Grant was eventually found guilty of Kiesha's murder after a lengthy trial. And a judge sentenced him to serve at least 24 years in jail before he can seek parole.

Judge denies justice department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts
Judge denies justice department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

Leader Live

time6 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Judge denies justice department request to unseal Epstein grand jury transcripts

The ruling on Wednesday by Judge Richard Berman in Manhattan came after the judge presiding over the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former girlfriend, also turned down the government's request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence after her conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping Epstein sexually abuse girls and young women. Epstein died in jail awaiting trial. A US justice department spokesperson declined to comment. Judge Berman said the information contained in the Epstein grand jury transcripts 'pales in comparison to the Epstein investigative information and materials in the hands of the Department of Justice.' According to his ruling, no victims gave evidence before the Epstein grand jury. The only witness, the judge wrote, was an FBI agent 'who had no direct knowledge of the facts of the case and whose testimony was mostly hearsay'. The agent gave evidence over two days, on June 18 and July 2 2019. The rest of the grand jury presentation consisted of a PowerPoint slideshow shown during the June 18 session and a call log shown during the July 2 session, which ended with grand jurors voting to indict Epstein. Both of those will also remain sealed, Judge Berman ruled. Maxwell's case has been the subject of heightened public focus since an outcry over the justice department's statement last month saying that it would not be releasing any additional documents from the Epstein sex trafficking investigation. The decision infuriated online sleuths, conspiracy theorists and elements of US President Donald Trump's base who had hoped to see proof of a government cover-up. Since then, Trump administration officials have tried to cast themselves as promoting transparency in the case, including by requesting from courts the unsealing of grand jury transcripts. 'The government is the logical party to make comprehensive disclosure to the public of the Epstein file,' Judge Berman wrote in an apparent reference to the justice department's refusal to release additional records on its own while simultaneously moving to unseal grand jury transcripts. 'By comparison,' he added, 'the instant grand jury motion appears to be a 'diversion' from the breadth and scope of the Epstein files in the government's possession. The grand jury testimony is merely a hearsay snippet of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged conduct.' Meanwhile, Maxwell was interviewed at a Florida courthouse weeks ago by US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche, and the house oversight committee had also said that it wanted to speak with Maxwell. Her lawyers said they would be open to an interview but only if the panel were to ensure immunity from prosecution. In a letter Maxwell's lawyers, representative James Comer, the committee chairman, wrote that the committee was willing to delay the deposition until after the resolution of Maxwell's appeal to the Supreme Court. That appeal is expected to be resolved in late September. Mr Comer wrote that while Maxwell's testimony was 'vital' to the Republican-led investigation into Epstein, the committee would not provide immunity or any questions in advance of her testimony, as was requested by her team.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store