A woman beat a man to death with a kettle so severely his injuries could have been mistaken for being from a ‘high-impact road collision’.
Elizabeth Sweeney, 36, denied murdering Neil Jolly, 49, at his Aberdeen flat in June 2023.
The High Court in Aberdeen heard how the ‘murderous assault’ occurred at Jolly’s flat in Marischal Court, a high-rise in Castlegate.
Jolly suffered more than 70 blunt force injuries to his head, neck, arms, hands and torso, including several self-defence wounds.
Sweeney was given a mandatory life sentence for murder and will spend at least 18 years in prison following a 10-day trial.
Judge Miller told Sweeney: ‘You inflicted a severe and fatal brain injury and other head injuries which, according to the medical evidence given at your trial, were of a kind which might be expected to result from a high-impact road traffic collisions or a fall from height, along with fractures to a rib and to a structure in his throat.’
Sweeney and Jolly were alleged to have been partners or ex-partners – Jolly had assaulted Sweeney twice in the weeks leading up to his death, the trial was told.
Sweeney woke up the morning of June 22 with the belief she was in danger, her defence said.
The murder happened between that evening and the early hours of the following morning, with CCTV footage showing Sweeney outside the housing complex shortly after.
Sweeney, the court heard, soaked the victim’s body in water and allegedly tried to clean the blood from the bathroom and kettle.
Judge Miller told Sweeney: ‘During the intervening weekend, you did nothing to seek help for Neil Jolly or to allow his body to be recovered.
‘Instead, you appear to have spent that weekend in much the same way as you might have spent any other weekend, apparently giving little, if any, thought to Neil Jolly’s fate or your part in it.
Police discovered Jolly’s body on June 26 after Sweeney phoned 999.
The judge added: ‘Statements written by Neil Jolly’s mother, son and sister powerfully express the enormous loss which his death represents to his family, which includes his three children.
‘It is clear that the family’s distress has been magnified by the knowledge of how Mr Jolly died and the knowledge that you left him where he lay for three days after you murdered him before contacting emergency services.’
Sweeney claimed that the murder was an act of self-defence after Jolly allegedly sexually assaulted her in her sleep.
But jurors found her guilty last month following a trial at Aberdeen’s High Court.
Judge Miller said: ‘Although you maintain your general description, which the jury rejected, of how this incident began, the report states that you take full responsibility for Neil Jolly’s death and that you feel remorse for your actions.’
Detective Inspector William Murdoch said: ‘We acknowledge this sentence today and hope that this brings some comfort to the family and friends of Neil Jolly.
‘I would like to thank all officers involved for their dedication and commitment throughout the investigation as well as those members of the public who assisted with our enquiries.’
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