Every third day, in our #EveryThreeDays campaign, I write about a woman killed by a man. Previously in this campaign, which started on the 2nd of May 2021, I have remembered 116 women, the last being Zaneta Balazova.

Today I remember Celia Powell

The BBC reported in September 2015:

A man has been given a hospital order for killing his mother with a wrench after struggling to care for her. David Powell found caring for his 95-year-old mother, Celia, too much of a burden and planned to take his own life after the attack, but he was unable to go through with it, police said. The 74-year-old, from Barlaston in Staffordshire, told police she said she had wanted to die. He previously admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He was given the restricted hospital order at Stafford Crown Court.

The court was told he called police at about 20:00 BST on 9 April to report his mother’s death at her home in Penkhull and told officers he had killed her an hour earlier. But Powell, of Longton Road, admitted he had killed her three days before during questioning.

Det Insp Andy Maxfield, from Staffordshire Police, said: “Mrs Powell’s death was particularly tragic as she was killed by her own son, the person who had once been her carer. Powell claimed that his mother had expressed a wish to die and that he had intended to end her misery and die with her as he felt unable to cope. He claimed he could see no other way out. This has been a very upsetting case. Powell found the burden of caring for his mother too much to bear, and did not feel able to carry on. For an older woman to die in such violent circumstances is extremely sad. Nobody deserves to end their days like that.”

Celia Powell

#EveryThreeDays

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(Pronouns - she/her) - Steph Richards is a 73-year-old 'post-op' trans woman with a Gender Recognition Certificate and works as a human rights activist. She was the elected Women's and LGBT Officer at Portsmouth Labour Party 2021 - 2024, CEO of Translucent.Org.UK, winner of the LGBT Organisation of the Year at the National Diversity Awards in 2022, co-founder of Women's Action Network (Portsmouth) and a volunteer at a Women's health charity. Steph was shortlisted as a "Gender Role Model" at the National Diversity Awards in 2025. Steph has been platformed live on BBC Radio 4 three times, including Women's Hour. She has also appeared on Times Radio, LBC Radio, GB News and Channel 4 News. In 2023, Steph debated trans human rights at an American university event alongside Harvard biologist and author Carole Hooven, PhD. Steph (an intersectional feminist) is passionate about the inclusion and acceptance of trans people in society. She advocates for women in prison, specifically pregnant women and calls out the mounting concern that abortion rights are at risk in the UK. She was the recipient of an Inspirational Women of Portsmouth Award in March, 2023.

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