Kathleen Doris Hempsall

Kathleen Hempsall was found stabbed to death in her home after a suspected burglary.

Two youths were charged with her murder, and one was convicted, however, his conviction was later quashed on appeal. A third youth who was charged at the same time with aiding and abetting the burglary pleaded guilty.

It was thought that she had disturbed intruders.

There was no sign of a forced entry, but she had set off her burglar alarm by pressing her panic button and two police patrol cars had arrived twenty minutes later, but they had gone off after getting no answer to their knocks and Kathleen Hempsall's body was not found until two hours later when her sister alerted the police after becoming worried about her.

Kathleen Hempsall was murdered just after she had got back home after taking her 7-year-old daughter to school. She was a mid-wife.

Her husband was said to have been so shocked by her death that he had to be taken to hospital.