Chilling final scream of woman, 20, as she was choked to death by thug boyfriend
A YOUNG woman screamed for help before her boyfriend strangled her to death.
Courtney Boorne, 20, yelled “he won’t let me out” before her partner Liam Cain killed her in the flat they shared together.
When police arrived at the flat in the Northwood area of Kirkby, Merseyside, Courtney was found unconscious and died in hospital that evening.
Cain, 19, of Skipton Road, Anfield, has been found guilty of murder after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The murder trial heard that Ms Boorne had phoned her mum Cheryl at around 3.30pm on December 23 2022.
During this call, she told her mother “if she didn’t hear from her within an hour to call the police, because something was going on”.
Around an hour later, a neighbour rang 999 reporting that she could see a woman in an apartment opposite at Quarry Bank Heights, “screaming and climbing onto the window ledge”.
Gordon Cole KC added during the prosecution’s opening last week: “She said that the female appeared to be shouting at someone inside the flat.
“Courtney Boorne was heard to shout ‘please’. She was crying and she was shouting, ‘he has all the doors locked and he won’t let me out’.”
Another witness also called the police to “report a female shouting out of the window, screaming, shouting ‘call the police, he’s choking me'”.
Mr Cole said: “She was described as screaming, and the window was then closed.
“What they couldn’t see, of course, was what was going on inside the flat. The only two people inside the flat were Courtney Boorne and this defendant.”
When police found Cain he was “crouched down” with “scratch marks” on his head and face.
He claimed to have acted in self defence, telling how Ms Boorne attacked him with a plant pot, a brush and a kitchen knife.
He claimed she was angry after he received calls from a mystery number but his phone showed no records of any calls of this type.
A spokesperson for charity Womens Aid said: “The murder of a 20 year old woman is shocking and heartbreaking for her family, friends and community, but domestic homicides are anything but uncommon.
“In the UK alone, on average 3 women every fortnight are killed by a current or former partner. Domestic abuse is prevalent throughout our society, with many women feeling trapped and unable to leave.
“Our thoughts at Women’s Aid are with the family of Courtney Bourne, whose life should not have been taken in this brutal way in her own home, the one place she should have been able to be safe.”
Speaking about the verdict, Detective Inspector from Merseyside Police Laura Lamping said: “This was a truly shocking and brutal murder of Courtney Bourne in her own home.
“As the court heard, her tragic death and the domestic violence she endured was abhorrent.
“Nobody can begin to understand the impact her sudden death has had on her family and friends, but I hope that this conviction will give Courtney’s family a sense of justice.”
Det Insp Lamping said the force was determined to ensure the perpetrators of domestic violence faced justice.
She added: “This conviction demonstrates our dedication to bringing perpetrators of domestic violence to justice and supporting victims.
“Merseyside Police continues to do everything it can to tackle all violence against women and girls and we will do everything in our power to support victims, target perpetrators and reduce violence by ensuring victims of domestic abuse feel believed and supported when they report offending to us.
“Domestic abuse is a complex issue and can take many forms. It can be psychological, financial, sexual, emotional and physical and we want to raise awareness of the support that is available to anyone who is or has experienced domestic abuse or has been affected by it so that nobody else has to suffer or silence or go through what they have been through.
“We work closely with local domestic support organisations, local authorities, safeguarding teams and charities to ensure that services and ongoing support are available, including access to refuges.
“We have a number of specialist departments within the police to investigate these crimes but it’s important that we all work together to support survivors and collectively work to prevent these crimes occurring in the first place by raising awareness.”
Cain is set to be sentenced on Friday.
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.