Man found guilty of murdering pregnant ex-girlfriend in Thornton Heath
10 July 2020, 17:55
A man has been convicted of the murder of his 33-week pregnant former partner and the manslaughter of her baby son.
Aaron McKenzie was also found guilty of possession of an offensive weapon.
Police were called to the scene in Thornton Heath at 3:30 am on Saturday 29 June 2019 after receiving reports of an injured pregnant woman.
Kelly-Mary Fauvrelle, who was eight months pregnant, was found suffering from 21 stab wounds.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, Ms Fauvrelle died at the scene.
Heartbreakingly, her baby boy was delivered at the scene and taken to hospital but died just days later.
Ms Fauvrelle's family decided to call the baby boy Riley.
READ MORE: Gyms, pools, beauty salons and theatres: What is re-opening and what are the rules?
Ms Fauvrelle had previously been in a relationship with McKenzie, however they had broken up several months before the murder.
In the days immediately following the murder, McKenzie played the part of a victim and even attended the hospital where medical staff were fighting to save baby Reilly’s life.
He also joined the Fauvrelle family as they mourned her loss.
Ms Fauvrelle was murdered in her ground floor bedroom of her family home as her relatives slept upstairs.
Hearing the screams, Ms Fauvrelle's sister ran downstairs to find her dying on her bedroom floor beside the cot set up for her baby.
Police believe McKenzie made his way into the home through the ground floor patio doors.
Nearby CCTV showed a man, believed to be Kelly, walking towards the murder scene at 3:15am and then running in the opposite direction just ten minutes later.
READ MORE: Hospital in Boris Johnson's constituency re-introduces NHS staff parking charges
McKenzie was initially treated as a witness by police, however he later became a suspect and was arrested on 11 July 2019
He later admitted, via his solicitor, to being responsible for the deaths saying: “No one else was involved in this. There was no reason for it other than my faults”.
McKenzie claimed that when he admitted the offences he was under pressure. He also provided the first name of another man who he claimed was responsible for the murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Mick Norman of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said:“This case has been nothing short of heart-breaking for Kelly’s family and for the officers who have become close to them.
“The agonising loss of such a young woman and her child at a time when they were eagerly awaiting Riley’s birth and looking forward to a happy future is beyond imagining.
“Despite the evidence against him, McKenzie has subjected Kelly and Riley’s family to the trauma of a trial.
“The theft of Kelly and Riley’s happy futures is something that will haunt those who loved her forever and I sincerely hope that Aaron McKenzie is similarly affected as he faces his future incarcerated.”
McKenzie is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on July 17.
