Life sentences for two found guilty of murdering Birkenhead woman Glenda Jackson

The 44-year-old victim was found lying in a blood-soaked communal hallway outside flats at Grayson Mews, in John Street, Birkenhead, on the morning of September 30 last year having been left to die.

She had been repeatedly stabbed just hours after telling police she had been attacked and suffered homophobic abuse.

Nicholas Curtis, 32, and his younger brother Stuart Curtis, who were staying in the same block of flats, both pleaded not guilty to murder but were unanimously convicted yesterday at Liverpool Crown Court.

Nicholas, who stabbed her five times with her own knife, was ordered to serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars and 31-year-old Stuart, who kicked and stamped on her during the knife attack, has to serve 16 years before he can apply for parole.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said Glenda Jackson had been assaulted outside the flats earlier that night by the brothers and she rang the police about it at 1.44 am.

She “unwisely” told the call operator she was going to stab the people responsible and while on the phone was assaulted again and began to cry.

The brothers, who had taken cocaine and alcohol while out socialising in the town, left the scene and when police officers spoke to the victim she refused to make a formal statement and said she would “do it my way”.

She got a knife and hammer from her camper van and used the hammer to smash a window or windows of Nicholas Curtis’ Mercedes Sprinter van.

"That in my judgement was the catalyst for that which occurred shortly after,” he said.

Judge Aubrey said that no one knew precisely what happened around 3am but he was satisfied the brothers had “gone out looking for her, enraged as you were that she had damaged your van.”

She suffered five stab wounds, including one to the rear of her right thigh severing vital arteries and another to her chest.

She had many other injuries to her head and face, some marks consistent with footwear.

He said the men had acted together with Nicholas stabbing her with her own knife and Stuart kicking and stamping. She was found dead in the blood-soaked hallway about 8am.

Meanwhile Nicholas had gone to Arrowe Park hospital with two stab wounds in his torso, one of them puncturing his lung.

Judge Aubrey said that notwithstanding his stab wounds it was “a ferocious and sustained attack committed by both of you and committed in retaliation by both of you.”

He described 32-year-old Nicholas as a strong and powerful man and said that as soon as he had seized the knife and with his brother prepared and willing to hep him “you were both determined to teach her a lesson and did so with fatal consequences that I am satisfied Nicholas intended.”

Nicholas Curtis said he had acted self-defence after she stabbed him in the chest. Stuart denied involvement in any attack on her and simply found his brother outside bleeding from a chest wound.

A poignant impact statement was read to the court from Glenda’s long term partner, Julie Davies in which she told how they planned to marry next April.

They had met in 1997 while working as support workers for adults with learning disabilities and their friendship led to their romantic relationship.

She told of her kind nature helping others and how 700 people attended her funeral demonstrating the huge loss caused by her death.

She described her as having been a beacon of light for many and “an angel on earth.”

A social worker had said, “If we could bottle Glenda Jackson the world would be a better place,” said Ms Davies.

“She was the anchor of her family and everyone is now lost and adrift,” she added.

Anthony Berry, QC, defending, said that the victim had been determined to cause serious injury and had taken a lethal weapon with her and set about damaging the van in a way which was bound to elicit a response.

When Nicholas rushed out in his boxer shorts and top she stabbed him in a way to cause him grievous bodily harm or with intent to kill him and he had been lucky to survive.

He said yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the death of his four year old son who was crushed by a falling fireplace.

Nina Grahame, defending Stuart, said that the case involved a tragedy for the Curtis family with two brothers in the dock. He is the father of a four-year-old daughter who he had fought to maintain contact with and she has always been his “priority.”

He became visibly upset in the dock and sat with his head on the dock rail while she spoke of his daughter. He “will not see his young daughter grow up,” she added.