Man jailed for ex-partner’s drowning murder

A man received a life imprisonment sentence for the murder of his former partner, whom he drowned in a river. Vincent Morgan, aged 47, possessed a record of domestic violence against Lisa Welford, 49, and was under a judicial directive prohibiting him from contacting her. Nevertheless, on April 24, he violated this order and was observed consuming alcohol with Ms. Welford in York. That evening, they returned to Malton and proceeded to drink by the River Derwent, where he subsequently fractured her femur and submerged her, leading to her death from her injuries in the hospital the next morning. Morgan, residing at Chandler’s Wharf in Malton, was handed a life sentence with a mandatory minimum period of 21 years at Leeds Crown Court on Wednesday, following his conviction for murder by a jury on Monday. During the proceedings, the court received victim impact statements from both Ms. Welford’s adoptive mother and her biological mother, each expressing that they were left “distraught” by her passing. Rita Welford, in a statement delivered by her other daughter Mandy, stated: “Lisa is my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night.” She recounted witnessing her daughter with contusions and fractures stemming from Morgan’s mistreatment, yet frequently encountered “countless excuses” for his conduct. “She loved him but at the same time she was scared of what he would do to her if she upset him,” Ms Welford added. Joy Oxley, who became Ms. Welford’s mother at 17 and arranged for her adoption, stated that they had re-established contact 18 years subsequent. “I was overjoyed and we kept in regular contact,” Ms Oxley said. “Vincent Morgan was introduced to me as Lisa’s friend. I had no idea of his past record of beating women. “I’ve lost her twice now, this time forever.”” Carmel Pearson, representing the prosecution, informed the court that Morgan possessed 47 prior convictions, among which were acts of violence against a former partner. He suffered from alcohol dependency and would exploit Ms. Welford, even compelling her to vacate her residence and stay with her mother when he declined to depart from her home. During his sentencing comments, Judge Guy Kearl addressed Morgan, stating: “When in drink you are brutal and callous, unable to control your desire for violence towards your partners.” The judge further remarked that Ms. Welford was perceived as “kind and gentle, caring, thoughtful and loved” by individuals acquainted with her. North Yorkshire Police had self-referred the matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) concerning the event, given Morgan’s prior interactions with law enforcement. An IOPC representative commented: “Our independent investigation into contact North Yorkshire Police had with Ms Welford between January 2022 and April 2024 was paused to avoid prejudicing the criminal trial.” The spokesperson added, “Following the sentencing of Vincent Morgan, we will now be resuming our inquiries.”