Two women have been found guilty of murder after repeatedly stabbing their friend, Helen Bloomfield, before smothering her with a pillow. Amy Keely, 40, and Charlotte James, 29, were convicted following the death of Ms Bloomfield, 52, at her flat in Braintree, Essex.
Ms Bloomfield was discovered dead on a blood-stained mattress on 19 April 2024, a month after the attack. Prosecutor Julian Evans KC stated that Ms Bloomfield, who had previously been sectioned, suffered 44 injuries.
The court heard that Keely carried out the stabbing before James sat on Ms Bloomfield's chest and used a pillow to smother her. The defendants then helped themselves to a bowl of Cheerios.
James, of St Michael's Lane, Braintree, and Keely, of no fixed address, are scheduled to be sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court on 16 October. Judge Christopher Morgan has indicated that both defendants face a life sentence.