Jury Begins Deliberations in Murder Trial of Man Accused of Partner’s Death

Jurors have withdrawn to deliberate on whether a man murdered his on-off partner, who died from blood loss. Paul Irwin, aged 50, had pleaded not guilty to the murder and sexual assault of Tiffany Render, 34, but confessed to her manslaughter. Carlisle Crown Court was informed that Miss Render succumbed to a massive haemorrhage at Mr. Irwin’s residence on George Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria, on March 22. This occurred after both individuals had consumed alcohol and cocaine. Mr. Irwin entered a guilty plea to the sexual assault charge on Wednesday, following consultation with his legal representatives. He had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter on Monday. Earlier in the trial, a pathologist testified that Miss Render had sustained “repeated blows,” blunt force trauma, and the application of “severe force.” During his closing address to the jury, prosecutor Iain Simkin KC characterized the case as “vulgar and unpleasant.” He stated: “We know Irwin killed her. We know he unlawfully killed her.” He further posed: “What remains for you to decide is: what was his intention at the time he killed her?” Representing the defence, Peter Glenser KC remarked that Mr. Irwin and Miss Render had led lives that were “chaotic, sadly.” Mrs. Justice Foster informed the jury that the sole verdict she could accept at this juncture was a unanimous one, requiring agreement from all 12 members. She additionally emphasized that they must be “sure” that Mr. Irwin intended either to kill Miss Render or to inflict really serious bodily harm upon her to convict him of murder.