A plotting Stockport woman who stabbed the father of four of her children after starting a relationship with another man has been jailed for nine years.
Dawn Barr, 41, stabbed devoted dad, Darren Orrett, 32, in the neck, in the kitchen of her home in Cheadle, Stockport in November last year.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court cleared her of murder, but found her guilty of manslaughter through loss of control.
Mr Orrett had repeatedly visited the family home after Barr started a new relationship with Robert Joyce.
The court had heard how Mr Orrett had been concerned for the welfare of the children and made frequent visits to the family home.
Barr had claimed Mr Orrett had become threatening and obsessive in the days before the fatal incident.
And shortly before Mr Orrett’s death, Barr had threatened to stab and kill him in texts to her new boyfriend.
In one message to Mr Joyce on November 18, Miss Barr said of Mr Orrett: “I’ll stab the **** myself because it’s on record what an evil controlling bully he is.”
Mr Joyce allegedly said in a text to Miss Barr: “Get him gone and we’ll be so happy.”
Miss Barr is alleged to have replied: “Get him gone – I’m gonna kill this ****”.
Mr Joyce did not give evidence in the Barr’s trial and the court was told they are no longer together.
Sentencing Barr, Judge Michael Henshell said Barr had become exasperated by Mr Orrett’s repeated visits and the way he watched her relationship with Mr Joyce at ‘every turn’.
But he added: “That relationship was an entirely selfish one which led you to be blinded to the fact that Darren Orrett was feeling completely excluded and that led directly to the way he behaved towards you and to your loss of control.”
The jury had been told that Mr Orrett went to live at his sister’s home, also in Cheadle, on Bonfire Night last year after learning that Miss Barr had been ‘cheating’ on him.
Mr Orrett returned to the family home in John Avenue at around 11.30pm on November 20 last year after being told Barr was drunk in charge of the children.
In the kitchen, Barr stabbed Mr Orrett in the neck while the children were in the house.
He died almost instantly.
Shortly after Barr was sentenced, someone shouted from the public gallery – “suffer!”
Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe from the Major Incident Team said: “This was a needless act, not only leaving a family without a brother and son, but four children and two step-children without a much loved and dedicated father.
“They will now have to grow up knowing that their mum killed their dad, robbing them of a lifetime love.”
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