Man jailed for murdering wife’s grandmother in Wickham

A man has been jailed for murdering his wife’s grandmother, who died six months after a “brutal” knife attack.

June Henty was found with more than 100 wounds at her home in Wickham, Hampshire, on 23 December 2023 and named 39-year-old Adam Wright as her attacker, police said.

She died in hospital from her injuries on 14 June 2024 at the age of 78.

Wright, of Grovers Field, Bishop’s Waltham, was given given a life sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court with a minimum term of 24 years.

The defendant, who had consumed alcohol and drugs the previous night, attacked Ms Henty “in a rage after she refused his demands for money”, prosecutors said.

She was found at about 07:30 GMT at the address in Dickson Park.

In hospital, Ms Henty was treated for haemorrhages in her head and neck and a bleed on her brain, police said.

She died from the delayed effects of multiple sharp force injuries, according to a pathologist’s report, detectives added.

Desmond Duffy, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a truly horrific and senseless act of violence against a much-loved family member.

“The sheer brutality is beyond comprehension, and Wright’s alcohol and drug consumption the previous night offers no justification for the level of anger and violence inflicted upon a woman.”

In a statement, Mrs Henty’s family said: “Our beautiful mum June was brutally taken away from us and as a family we are heartbroken.

“She was a kind and loving lady who always put her family first.”