A woman who stabbed a mother-of-one to death at a child’s birthday party has been convicted of murder after police found a chilling voicemail on her phone.
Hope Rowe, 33, from Aldgate, east London, launched a fatal knife attack on Charlotte Lawlor, 31, at a property in Stepney Green at around 1am on September 15 last year.
Jurors at London Crown Court heard that Rowe had been ‘spoiling for a fight’ when she confronted Ms Lawlor and accused her of hiding her keys, before leaving the flat with the knife used to cut the child’s birthday cake.
Ms Lawlor, who ‘just wanted to go home’ during the confrontation, was leaving the property to get a taxi home when Rowe leaned around her ‘MMA-expert’ boyfriend and stabbed her in the chest – footage of which was played in court.
Rowe blamed personality disorder and said she had no memory of the stabbing before later accusing Ms Lawlor of threatening to kill her and hurt another child at the party.
But prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC said Rowe’s defence was ‘fanciful’ and an ‘invention’.
Rowe’s boyfriend Leigh Holder, 37, was also convicted of perverting the course of justice after driving her away from the scene, helping to dispose of the knife and throwing armed police off the scent.
MyLondon revealed Holder was previously jailed for nine years for stabbing a man on the Regent’s Canal towpath over a money dispute in an attack described as a ‘horrific’ by a detective at the time.
And it was a key piece of evidence between Rowe and Holder that helped police land the convictions.
A voicemail exchange revealed Rowe’s pleasure at Ms Lawlor’s death. When Holder told her ‘You absolute idiot, you killed her’, Rowe replied: ‘Good.’
Hope Rowe (above) launched a fatal knife attack on Charlotte Lawlor at a property in Stepney Green at around 1am on September 15 last year
Ms Lawlor (above) was leaving the property to get a taxi home when Rowe leaned around her ‘MMA-expert’ boyfriend and stabbed her in the chest
Leigh Holder (above) was also convicted of perverting the course of justice after driving her away from the scene, helping to dispose of the knife and throwing armed police off the scent
Officers also heard Holder instructing Rowe to dispose of the knife and to avoid police.
Rowe claimed that she was stabbed in the head with a key, causing her to pour with blood that triggered emotions about a past miscarriage.
But Ms Newell said it was ‘a lie used to justify her actions and get away with murder’.
She added: ‘She attacked her in revenge for disrespecting her and getting the better of her in a fight that she incited… She did not like the way Charlotte Lawlor stood up to her and spoke to her.’
Rowe followed Ms Lawlor ‘to attempt to inflict more wounds’ after stabbing her in the chest before escaping with Holder in his four-by-four, disposing the murder weapon and making efforts to conceal the crime.
Holder was stopped by police marksmen later that night, but lied about Rowe jumping out of the car and claimed he had no knowledge of her location.
Rowe later wrote to a family member on TikTok to say she was ‘so, so sorry’. Jurors heard the recipient replied ‘It’s dine [sic]’, to which Rowe said ‘It’s not, this is bad, I’m going to be in trouble’.
The murderer handed herself into Bethnal Green Police Station at 7am on the day of the attack, where video footage showed her asking police to clarify ‘Is it attempted murder, or murder?’.
She admitted manslaughter before the trial, so jurors were asked to choose between two psychiatric experts: one of whom said personality disorder had impaired Rowe’s ability to exercise self-control, and the other, who did not find any substantial impairment.
Rowe’s partial defence of ‘loss of control’ flew in the face of the CCTV footage, which showed her using Holder as a shield so she could reach around him and plunge the knife into Ms Lawlor.
When Holder told her ‘You absolute idiot, you killed her’, Rowe (above) replied: ‘Good’
Ms Lawlor died within an hour of paramedics arriving after reports of the attack.
Her funeral was held at Islington and St Pancras Cemetery last October and drew hundreds of friends and family members.
The moving service included poetry and a video of Ms Lawlor and her young son who recorded a note to say ‘Love you mum. I’m gonna miss you.’
Her parents said in a statement today: ‘We are happy with the verdict. We would like to thank the jury for their attention during the trial.
‘The family will never get over the loss and murder of Charlotte. It has destroyed us, leaving a gaping hole. Charlotte’s son, Riley, has been left without a mum, and siblings without their older sister and best friend.
‘Charlotte brought light to everyone’s life.’
Rowe and Holder will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on July 9.
