Woman stabbed her ‘sugar daddy’ to death after he ran out of money

Lauren Harris murdered grandfather-of-nine Mark Wilcox(Picture: Wales News Service)

A woman who stabbed her ‘sugar daddy’ to death after he ‘ran out of money’ has been jailed for 25 years.

Lauren Harris, 29, and her friend David Webster murdered grandfather-of-nine Mark Wilcox after he said he ‘wanted to look after her’ and moved her into his basement in June last year.

Mr Wilcox’s wife Marcia Wilcox lived upstairs in the main house in Colwyn Bay, North Wales, but the couple had been separated for about 10 years.

She said a ‘cycle of shouting and abuse’ began after Harris moved in, prompting her to call police several times, Mold Crown Court heard.

Marcia said: ‘I remained living there but it was awful to live there. It wasn’t a relationship, it was a coercive mess. You try living with that shouting and screaming.’

When asked about the relationship, Mr Wilcox would say he wanted to ‘help’ or ‘save’ Harris.

He appeared to be repeatedly lending Harris money and by the time of his death more than £12,000 was withdrawn from his back account.

Grandfather-of-nine Mark Wilcox, 65 was described as ‘a generous man’ (Picture: Wales News Service)

Mr Wilcox’s four sons about their father’s apparent decline that one of their partners started a WhatsApp group with them, named ‘dad brigade’, to keep a mutual eye on him.

After four months of the trio living together Marcia moved out, and Mr Wilcox was found dead 30 days later.

Harris had invited her friend David Webster, 43, and Thomas Whiteley, 33, over to the home to drink and take drugs.

She had tried to use Mr Wilcox’s cards at an ATM for cash to purchase the drugs, but no money was available.

After a few hours the binge took a ‘nasty and violent’ turn and Harris ran at Mr Wilcox ‘like a crazed animal’ while he sat in his armchair.

When asked about the relationship, Mr Wilcox would say he wanted to ‘help’ or ‘save’ Harris (Picture: Wales News Service)

Webster said: ‘The look in her eyes… Her pupils were massive, it was just the speed at which she did it.’

She stabbed Mr Wilcox twice in the chest, before Webster smashed him on the head with a vodka bottle causing serious injuries.

The pair then stole his Volvo before crashing it and were arrested when Mr Wilcox was found at home.

He had been punched, kicked and stamped on and left with broken ribs with one of his watches stolen.

Harris and Webster were both handed life sentences for the attack, while the third defendent Whitely was found not guilty.

Lauren Harris was sentenced to life in prison (Picture: Wales News Service)

While the jury were out, Harris could be heard singing Shania Twain’s ‘Man! I feel like a woman’ as she was brought into the dock.

Webster branded Harris a ‘f***ing psychopathic b****” as they were led from the dock.

Judge Pepperall said the murder may have happened out of anger the money had dried up.

In a statement Marcia made to the judge she said he was ‘funny, kind and generous’.

Prosecutor Andrew Ford KC said Harris had previous convictions for assault including unlawful wounding in 2022 involving use of a knife against a partner.

David Webster was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 23 years (Picture: Wales News Service)

Mr Ford said: ‘Mr Wilcox was a gregarious, generous man whose generosity spilled over with the people he met, including, sometimes, strangers.’

‘Harris took advantage of Mr Wilcox, and that, to her, he presented an opportunity from which she could benefit.’

Father-of-four Mr Wilcox was described by his family as “such a kind and wonderful person, who always cared for the people he loved”.

Mr Wilcox worked for the Ministry of Defence and the BBC, then as a freelance IT specialist upon moving to Colwyn Bay, before retiring at the age of 65 in October just weeks before he died in November.

The father-of-four died before he had the chance to hold his newly-born ninth grandchild.

His family said: ‘Mark was a really generous person. If he saw someone homeless on the street, he’d often buy them hot chocolate or a mug of tea. If they were hungry, he’d buy them food.’

Mr Justice Pepperall said: ‘You have both been found guilty of the brutal murder of Mark Wilcox.

‘There is only one sentence by law that I can pass and that will be a sentence of life imprisonment.’

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