Vincent Morgan, a 47-year-old man and a serial domestic violence perpetrator, has today (2 December) been found guilty of the murder of Lisa Welford in April of this year.
Despite pleading not guilty Morgan, of Chandlers Wharf in Malton, was found guilty at Leeds Crown Court of murdering Lisa, aged 49, described as a strong, caring woman by friends.
At 11.39pm on the evening of Wednesday 24 April 2024 North Yorkshire Police were first contacted by the ambulance service about a woman trapped in the River Derwent at Malton in North Yorkshire. On arrival officers found Lisa in the river and Morgan on the riverbank claiming that she had jumped into the water.
Lisa was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital where it was found she was suffering from head injuries, a bleed on the brain, fractured ribs, a fractured collar bone and a severely fractured femur. She was sadly pronounced dead at 7.30am on Thursday 25 April.
Lisa’s numerous and severe injuries, combined with the low-growing branches at the scene, would have made it impossible for Lisa to jump into the river as claimed by Morgan.
CCTV uncovered as part of the police investigation, shows Lisa walking unaided, without any sign of injury, towards the river that evening.
Morgan, described as a violent and controlling man by a previous partner, had a long history of physical abuse against Lisa. At the time of the murder, he was subject to his third Domestic Violence Prevention Order (DVPO) and was on police bail under the condition that he had no contact with Lisa.
He was initially arrested at the scene for breach of this DVPO, then later arrested and charged with Lisa’s murder.
Morgan was also charged with two counts of Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm (AOBH) against Lisa (between the 1 -29 February 2024) for both of which he has also been found guilty.
Detective Chief Inspector Shaun Page, who led the investigation, comments:
North Yorkshire Police welcome the verdict today and our thoughts are with Lisa’s family. We work extremely hard to protect victims of domestic abuse from harm and pursue those responsible.
If you are a victim or are worried that a friend or family member may be, please reach out – there is support available. North Yorkshire Police have a dedicated Domestic Abuse Team who work closely with our partners to help victims and survivors of abuse.
Separating from someone who is controlling can be a difficult and dangerous time for people living with domestic abuse and we recommend that victims reach out for support.
North Yorkshire Police has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following this tragedy.
