Every third day, in our #EveryThreeDays campaign, I write about a woman killed by a man. Previously this month, on the 1st of July, I remembered Rosemary Gill. Today, six years and one day after her murder, I remember Laura Davies, aged just 21.
Laura was passionate about horses and worked and lived at Essex Horse and Pony Protection Society based in Basildon, Essex. She had formed a relationship with Jordan Taylor, who also worked and lived at the same site.
Initially, the relationship was loving, but over time (as I have seen in many cases I have researched), the man in the relationship became very controlling. Taylor started to dictate what Laura could wear, objecting to both sort sleeve and low cut tops, for example. They also began to argue.
Laura decided to end the relationship and told friends what she planned to do on the evening of July 3rd 2015. On being given the news yet another argument broke out, and Taylor stabbed Laura eighty times. CCTV footage showed Taylor attempting to hoist Laura over a hedge out of view, and as Police arrived, Taylor was found crouching in bushes near Laura, who died later that night in Basildon Hospital.
Taylor was subsequently charged with murder, and the case proceeded to Chelmsford Crown Court, the case number being T20157195 with Judge Charles Gratwicke presiding.
Taylor pleaded not guilty.
During the eight-day trial, the jury was presented significant evidence. This included being shown the knife that Taylor had used to murder Laura – the blade bent by 45 degrees – such was the ferocity of the attack.
On being found guilty, the judge told Taylor his “wicked actions” had “totally devastated the family”. “This was an appalling killing, and you have shown not a shred of remorse through the trial for your actions,”
Taylor was jailed for life with a minimum of 23 years.
After the trial, Laura’s father told the BBC: “We’ve lost Laura forever, and it’s very hard to deal with. We thank the justice system for all their work and for the sentence, but we repeat, it still never brings our beautiful Laura back.”
Laura Davies 1994 – 2015
#EveryThreeDays
