Man Convicted of Murder in ‘Vulnerable’ Partner’s Death

A man has been found guilty of murdering his on-off partner, following a brutal sexual assault that occurred after he consumed lager and cocaine excessively. Tiffany Render, aged 34, died from blood loss due to an internal injury sustained during an assault by Paul Irwin at his Whitehaven, Cumbria, flat in March. At Carlisle Crown Court, jurors were informed that Miss Render succumbed to a massive haemorrhage. It was also revealed that three rooms in 50-year-old Irwin’s residence were covered in blood after he repeatedly struck her with punches “again and again and again”. His sentencing is scheduled for next month. A pathologist determined that Miss Render, who measured 5ft 1in (1.55m) in height and weighed under nine stone (57kg), had sustained repeated blunt-force trauma. Jurors were informed that Irwin, who is 5ft 10in (1.8m) tall and weighs 17 stone (108kg), inflicted violence while “off his head” after consuming cans of Stella Artois lager earlier that day and taking 10 lines of cocaine during sexual activity with Miss Render. The pathologist stated that the attack was so brutal and her blood loss so swift that Miss Render could have collapsed within 20 minutes and died within an hour. The court was informed that Irwin had received a suspended prison sentence late last year for repeatedly striking Miss Render with a wooden rolling pin, as well as slapping and strangling her. She had subsequently reported additional assaults and, according to the prosecution, was an extremely vulnerable woman “trapped inside an aggressive, violent and controlling relationship.” Prosecutor Iain Simkin KC conveyed to jurors: “Tiffany Render had become conditioned to obedience, was in thrall to the defendant and, irrespective of the risks to her own well-being, nevertheless visited him on March 22.” In the weeks preceding her murder, Irwin had been arrested and released on bail by police on two occasions, with conditions prohibiting him from contacting Miss Render. He contacted the ambulance service, asserting that he had awakened to discover Miss Render deceased. During his testimony, Irwin, residing on George Street, stated he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, which led to him hearing voices and experiencing hallucinations. However, he maintained that his condition was fully medicated and managed in March. Irwin asserted that Miss Render’s death was accidental, yet during the trial, he entered a guilty plea to manslaughter and also confessed to sexual assault. Judge Mrs Justice Foster was presented with a psychiatric report by Irwin’s legal team but declared that she would not deliver the sentence immediately. She characterized the case as “distressing” and informed the jurors that they would be permanently excused from serving on future crown court trials. Irwin is scheduled for sentencing in the week of 16 December and remains in custody.