Murderer collapses in court after being found guilty of killing a woman found dead at the bottom of his stairs 15 years ago
- Paul Charlton found guilty of murdering his girlfriend
- Joanne Howell was murdered on April 21, 2007 in her home.
- Charlton collapsed and was rushed to hospital after the verdict
The boyfriend of a Victorian woman found dead in her home more than 15 years ago has been rushed to hospital after a jury found him guilty of murder.
Paul Ross Charlton, 68, was facing trial in the High Court of Victoria after pleading not guilty to the murder of Joanne Howell, 52, on April 21, 2007.
After a day and a half, the jury returned to the courtroom on Thursday afternoon and found Charlton guilty of her murder.
An ambulance was called after Charlton collapsed on the dock following the verdict.
Paul Ross Charlton (pictured), the boyfriend of Victorian woman Joanne Howell, who was found dead in her home more than 15 years ago, has been found guilty of her murder.
The court heard that Charlton first raised the alarm at 11:20 p.m. and called police saying he had found Joanne Howell’s body at the bottom of the stairs at her Hughesdale home after returning from a walk with her dog. , Bundy (pictured: Joanne Howell)
The court heard that Charlton first raised the alarm at 11:20 pm and called the police saying that he had found the body of Mrs Howell at the bottom of the stairs in her Hughesdale home. after returning from a walk with his dog, Bundy.
She died from a violent blunt force impact to the back of the head, and forensic investigators later found evidence that she had been strangled before or after the injury, while still alive.
The case was investigated at the time but no charges were filed, until police reopened the investigation in 2021.
The jury heard in the days before Ms Howell’s death, she told friends that she wanted Charlton out of her home and out of her life.
The couple met through a mutual friend in mid-2006, and by the end of the year, they began living together in Ms Howell’s unit in south-east Melbourne.
At the time of his death, arguments between the couple escalated and Mrs Howell told friends that he had been an “absolute jerk”.
The jury heard in the days before Ms Howell’s death, she told friends that she wanted Charlton out of her home and out of her life.
Prosecutors, led by Crown Attorney Patrick Bourke KC, argued that Ms Howell gave Charlton 30 days to move out but he did not want to leave, instead killing Ms Howell after another of their fights.
“We say we can rule out, based on the evidence, that while Mr. Charlton was away from the house, someone else broke in and murdered her while he was away,” he said.
We say that Mr. Charlton has a motive. The relationship is doomed to failure, it’s over, they’ve given marching orders.
Charlton’s lawyer, Megan Tittensor SC, had told the jury that there was no doubt that Ms Howell was murdered, but argued that her client did not kill Ms Howell or know who did.
Ms Tittensor had argued that the police had “taken the easy option” and charged the boyfriend, when there were other suspects they should have looked at.
“Have the police ever seriously investigated the possibility that someone other than Mr. Charlton might have killed Joanne?” he questioned.
She told jurors that while there was no feud, the couple argued before her death, Chalton believed the relationship could be mended, as it had been in the past.
He will return to court at a later date.
